Vol-au-vent brulee
These bite-sized brulées could well be the most indulgent and luxurious vol-au-vents we've ever seen. Perfect for entertaining, these impressive little desserts are filled with a creamy vanilla custard encased in a light and crispy pastry case. While they're designed for sharing, we think it'll be hard to stop at just one.
Recipe note: Begin this recipe a day ahead. You’ll need 8cm and 5cm round cutters and a blowtorch.
This recipe is by Alanna Sapwell-Stone and Matt Stone.
Ingredients (15)
- 2 cups (500ml) thickened cream
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
- 6 egg yolks (you need 120g, see notes), plus 1 extra egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar, plus extra, to dust
- 1/3 cup (50g) cornflour
- 2 tbs milk
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (we used Carême)
- Baby mint, to serve
Poached rhubarb
- 750g caster sugar
- Peel and juice of 2 lemons
- 5 sticks cassia bark (from Asian grocers, substitute cinnamon quills)
- 10 star anise
- 500g rhubarb stalks, cut into 1cm pieces
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
CloseMethod
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1.For the custard, heat the cream, zests and vanilla in a medium heavy-based saucepan over low heat until just simmering.
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2.Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl until combined and pale. Add cornflour and whisk until combined. Strain cream mixture through a fine sieve over yolk mixture, discarding solids, and quickly whisk until smooth. Pour back into pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk to remove some heat. Cover with plastic wrap touching custard, and poke holes through plastic with a skewer. Chill until cool and set (see notes).
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3.Meanwhile, for the rhubarb, place sugar, lemon peel and juice and spices in a large saucepan with 4 cups (1L) water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or until completely cooled.
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4.Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place rhubarb and syrup in a large baking dish. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until rhubarb is just tender. Set aside to cool in the syrup and finish cooking.
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5.For the vol-au-vents, preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Grease a large baking tray and line with baking paper. Whisk extra egg and milk in a small bowl and set aside.
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6.Using an 8cm round cutter, cut 16 rounds from pastry and place on the prepared tray. With a 5cm round cutter, cut rings from 8 of the rounds. Brush remaining rounds with egg wash and place rings on top (do not press down). Brush rings with egg wash. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and, using the back of a small knife, make a criss-cross pattern inside each ring, without cutting through the pastry.
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7.Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Stand on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Gently push down the centre of each vol-au-vent.
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8.To serve, spoon the filling into each vol-au-vent and smooth the top with a spatula. Evenly spread a thin layer of sugar across the top and brulee with a blowtorch. Serve with poached rhubarb alongside and scatter with baby mint.
Recipe Notes
Custard filling can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you’re making custard in advance and want to store it for longer, you can freeze it and store for up to 1 month (the texture may change slightly). If your custard splits or scrambles while cooking, use a stick blender to bring it back together until smooth and combined, then cool immediately. You can make the vol-au-vent pastry cases up to 1 day ahead. Once cool, store in an airtight container.
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