W
hen translated from French, vol-au-vent [vɔlovɑ̃] means “windblown”. And if you have never seen this small, hollow puff pastry case, it is time to try something new. You can fill vol-au-vents with savory fillings such as mushrooms, chicken, tuna or bacon, and if you have a sweet tooth like I do, you can play with all kinds of sweet creams and toppings. Classics are always a good choice because everybody likes them. Who doesn’t like a combination of lightly sweetened whipped cream with a fancy name Chantilly and fresh, juicy strawberries?
So, let’s get back to vol-au-vents! You need a batch of good puff pastry, and as a full-blooded puff pastry snob, I always recommend you make it yourself. If you make a large batch, you can freeze it in portions, and when you feel a sudden craving for mille-fuille, cream horns or vol-au-vents, you just have to reach for your homemade puff!
To make vol-au-vents, you need to roll out half of puff pastry to the thickness of 6mm (1⁄4“). The next thing is to cut circles carefully and make a hole in each one of them with a smaller cutter. Roll out the rest of your pastry to 2mm (1⁄16“), and cut out the same number of circles. Dock the circles with a fork, brush the edges with an egg wash, and stack the ring-shaped, thicker piece on the top. When you bake them, vol-au-vents should rise and have a hole in the middle. Cool them down and make a filling of your choice – sweet or savory.
Chantilly and Strawberry Vol-au-vents Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 25 minutes
Cook time : 15 minutes
Ready in 35 minutes
Level : Advanced
Ingredients:- Puff pastry 500g (1.1lbs)
- Whipping cream 300g (10.6oz)
- Powdered sugar 30g (1oz)
- Vanilla powder to taste
- Strawberries 300g (10.6oz)
- Roll out your puff pastry to the thickness of 6mm (1⁄4“). Carefully cut out circles 7.5cm (3″) in diameter, and make a hole in each one of them with a smaller cutter of 4cm (1.5”) in diameter.
- Stack the scraps of your puff pastry, and roll it to 2mm (1⁄16“) thickness. Cut out the same number of circles 7.5cm (3”) in diameter. Dock the circles with a fork, brush the edges with egg wash, and stack the ring-shaped thicker piece on the top.
- Bake your vol-au-vents at 200°C (400°F) until they rise and get nice golden color. Leave them to cool down.
- Whisk whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla in your stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment until you get soft peaks.
- Fill cooled vol-au-vents with Chantilly cream, and top them with fresh strawberries.
- Chill them in the refrigerator before serving.
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