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Daring Bakers Do Vols Au Vent

Salted Caramel Mousse Chocolate Vols Au Vent


I am never comfortable with scheduling blog posts to go up while I am away playing working. Oh yes…this conference is maximum work: all that shaking hands, exchanging business cards, hugging, eating, discovering, laughing, all this pretty much on loop. Tough job. Alright, so you don’t buy it. Wouldn’t either (check on Twitter) What you can believe is that my dear and better half is certainly enjoying the last bit of this month Daring Bakers’ challenge, Vols Au Vent and other puff pastry based items.

I remember back in the 80s when these were the hottest appetizers on restaurant menus, at cocktails parties, often topping over with cream and rich fillings. As a child I did get my share of them, happily volunteering my tastebuds to my mother’s latest puff pastry creation. I often associate these with memories of Christmas dinner, with a house filled with cousins, parents and pets, each of us sliding our fork in a pillow of layers upon layers of puff pastry, letting my grandmother’s morels, sweetbreads and cream filling ooze out on the plate. Yes, I just closed my eyes and sighed just now….

Goat Cheese Mousse And Shrimp Vols Au Vent


As much as I would have loved to recreate that particular food memory, sweetbreads and morels are pretty hard to find this time of year in my parts. Thus, I pretty much stuck to sweets for this challenge with a little savory diversion as shrimp season is in full swing here in South Carolina.

I started by divided the recipe in half and making one chocolate while the other remained plain. Having made mille-feuilles many times here and having hosted a Daring Baker challenge including puff pastry, I was really happy that we had to do something else this time and it had been a long while since I had last made vols au vent.

Goat cheese and Shrimp


We go shrimping just about every other day lately and my freezer and fridge are bursting. Friends come over right now and leave with a couple of pounds of shrimp and a couple of vols au vent. The savory rounds were filled with soft fresh goat cheese whipped together with dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper then topped with a steamed shrimp and garnished with capers .and dill springs. So easy and so fresh! Makes me want to keep a dozen of these ready in the fridge at all time.

My brain is on chocolate and caramel lately so once the chocolate vols au vent were baked and cooled, I filled them with a salted caramel mousse. I know. I am so predictable. “Yep!” is all I have to say about that. With a huge smile on my face of course. These were just perfect. The bittersweet cocoa powder coming through from the pastry mixed with the sweet and creamy caramel….oh that was good!

Lemon Curd Mousse Vols Au Vent


I still had a lot of lemons (in frozen juice form by now) from that case that fell on my lap a couple of weeks ago and so I filled the plain vols au vent with a tart lemon curd mousse and topped them with kiwi, nectarine, and strawberries. A little burst of summer still since it won’t feel like Fall for a very long time around here.

I did play with the scraps of dough a bit and made what Bill called Tiramisu Pear Tarts. The chocolate puff pastry was rolled thin and topped with a mascarpone marsala filling and thin slices of pears. I have to say these go down way too easily with an after dinner espresso! Trust me, they are all gone.

Tiramisu Pear Tarts


It’s good when everything is a bit crazy to be able to rely on a technique that you have done many times but I did enjoy playing around this month. If you take care of your first two turns when making puff pastry, you are set to go. These are crucial. Make sure to keep your butter pliable. Firm and it will no roll and will tear into your dough. Too soft and it won’t layer as you fold but create pockets and puddles at the bottom of your oven. Once you get the first two turns, you can pretty much put your brain on cruise and keep on.

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Vols Au Vent:

Notes: I will update with all the recipes for the fillings when I get back from BlogHer Food 2009.

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough
From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Notes: for the chocolate puff pastry, I just added 2 tablespoons to half the recipe for the regular puff pastry.

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter
plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:
Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.
Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)
Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that’s about 1″ thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:
Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10″ square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.
Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don’t just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8″ square.
To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:
Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24″ (don’t worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24″, everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).
With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.
Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24″ and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:
If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you’ve completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.
The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent
Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent

In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.
(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d’oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)
Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)
Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)
Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.
Fill and serve.
*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to "glue"). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.
*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.
*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

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Comments


mattgt12 September 27, 2009 um 4:29 am

looks very good!


Unknown September 27, 2009 um 4:37 am

MMMMMmmmm, those look lovely! I'm weak for salted caramel, but lately I prefer savory. I think I could have packed away a couple of those fresh shrimp.

Hope you're having a blast at BlogHer!


Kitchen M September 27, 2009 um 4:56 am

Beautiful job, Helen (as always)! It's not quite 27th yet in my time zone, so I'm still preparing for my post right now.
It's kind of nice to see some savory items on your blog on occasion. 🙂


Jo September 27, 2009 um 5:23 am

Gorgeous as always and I like the chocolate version! Totally different from the usual vol-au vents.


glamah16 September 27, 2009 um 5:41 am

A freezer bursting with shrimp ! Lucky. The sweetbreads and morrels would have been awesome. I love your final take with the chcolate puff pastry. Excellent.


Alexandra September 27, 2009 um 5:45 am

ohhh, my favorite kind of recipe…easily cross-utilized, for sweet and savories!
Pear tiramisu…mmmmmmm!

I am enamored by the manner in which you evoke the love, and details of the moment of a shared meal with family!


Anonymous September 27, 2009 um 6:07 am

Everything looks delicious and well done prepping your blog to be posted while you're away! Vol au vents remind me also of the 80s!


Sara September 27, 2009 um 6:11 am

Ooooooh, these look sooooo tasty! I love that shrimp one especially…just looks so luscious! I so want to try that! 🙂


Puzzles to Print September 27, 2009 um 7:14 am

Wow. Your photos are just dreamy. I feel like you've captured something appropriately breezy with these vol au vent photos. Outstanding. Think I'll be back for a daily dose of inspiration. Merci!


À Chacun Ses Goûts September 27, 2009 um 7:14 am

OOh yum! These look too delicious to be true 🙂


Cannelle Et Vanille September 27, 2009 um 7:22 am

Oh yes, sweetbreads and morels was also another one I used to have as a kid. Love it. Somethjng very kitschy about vol au vents but I can never say no!


Monika September 27, 2009 um 7:35 am

OMG! those chocolate vols-au-vent with salted caramel mousse look absolutely divine! your blog and photos are just stunningly beautiful.

Best wishes,

Monika


Jen Yu September 27, 2009 um 7:54 am

Even though I'm sitting across the hotel room from you, I have to say that your DB challenge is perfection (as always, but that is not to diminish your artistry every time). I'm glad you were able to post your challenge and then come drinking and dancing all night tonight! I'm sure you'd still be going if they hadn't run out of wine – ha!! xxoo


Lisa is Bossy September 27, 2009 um 8:15 am

I was wondering if all you ladies were rushing back to hotel rooms to post or actually had the forethought (and time!) to have it completed and scheduled. Well done! I'm impressed (both with your posting and your fabulous array of puff pastry variations!) Beautiful as usual, Helen. 🙂


sweetakery September 27, 2009 um 8:59 am

Everything looks delicious! love the tiramisu Pear Tarts!! yumm!!


Rosa's Yummy Yums September 27, 2009 um 9:05 am

Everything looks perfect and so tempting! as usual, your creations are stunning!

Cheers,

Rosa


Simones Kitchen September 27, 2009 um 9:42 am

Those looks absolutely wonderful Helen. I love the ones with the fresh shrimp on top. Gorgeous!


zorra September 27, 2009 um 9:45 am

I'm drooling and beautiful photos as usual!


Y September 27, 2009 um 9:56 am

Never was much of a vol-au-vent person, but sweetbreads and morels, I could definitely go for. Your pastries just look so fabulous 🙂


Lolah September 27, 2009 um 10:18 am

Your vol-au vents are beautiful and all the fillings sound so yummy!
Great job!


Conor @ HoldtheBeef September 27, 2009 um 10:23 am

Oh man I love them all, but am particularly taken by the chocolate ones.. great idea 🙂


shaz September 27, 2009 um 10:53 am

Oh those chocolate vols au vent look so decadent. A freezer full of shrimp sounds like a dilemma I'd like to have 🙂


Anita September 27, 2009 um 11:01 am

I just love the look of the chocolate vol-au-vents and the tart too – very creative.


Aparna Balasubramanian September 27, 2009 um 11:30 am

These look beautiful, like I knew they would. Especially liked the sweet ones.
You want us to believe the conference is hard work that you're not enjoying? I saw your Twitter conversations, but will believe you if say so! 🙂
And thanks for the advice with butter, it worked.


Wic September 27, 2009 um 11:33 am

Its crazy how pretty and delicious they look. I think I will have to cry in the corner for a few minutes to later take a closer look.
Love what you did with this challenge.


♥peachkins♥ September 27, 2009 um 12:53 pm

this is excellent! You did both sweet and savory..


KPB September 27, 2009 um 1:54 pm

OH your's look fantastic! I am intrigued by the chocolate version – how much flour did you remove for cocoa?


Sugar Daze September 27, 2009 um 1:58 pm

Wow, these all look so beautiful. How jealous am I that you go shrimping almost every other day? You had me with the chocolate and caramel. Pls.post the recipe for those pear slices when you are back. They look heavenly!


Allie September 27, 2009 um 2:05 pm

Gorgeous as usual! Have a great time in San Francisco. Go to Greens if you can, it's amazing.


Judy@nofearentertaining September 27, 2009 um 2:06 pm

Absolutely beautiful Helen! I love the chocolate ones! Also love that you go shrimping and get your own shrimp!!!


Unknown September 27, 2009 um 3:09 pm

SO beautiful! I love the ruffly edges. Was going to do a few like that myself and then realized my biggest flower cutter was one inch across. 😛


El September 27, 2009 um 3:09 pm

Simply elegant…


Rachael Hutchings September 27, 2009 um 3:09 pm

I always look forward to coming and seeing your DB post. I love how creative you are! As usual, you did not disappoint! Wish I had been able to be in SF with all of you guys. Next year! (Fingers crossed.)


kellypea September 27, 2009 um 3:44 pm

Delightful array of droolworth flavor combos. Loving the chocolate puff pastry most! Hope your presentation was fabulous (like there's any way it couldn't be?)


Vera September 27, 2009 um 3:48 pm

Helen, incredible as always! Love them all!


Anonymous September 27, 2009 um 3:50 pm

Lovely as always, Helen!


Heather September 27, 2009 um 3:53 pm

Beautiful! An absolute delight!


Laura VeganPower September 27, 2009 um 3:56 pm

Oh My God, is very beautiful and very PRO, amazing, great job !

Wonderful pictures, i like this !

Bravo for this challenge !


Lauren September 27, 2009 um 4:12 pm

Simply gorgeous! I love all of the photos, and the vols-au-vent all look delicious =D.


Chele September 27, 2009 um 5:23 pm

What a treat! I'll be honest, Vols Au Vents were only ever savory in my house growing up and never made from scratch. Chocolate Vols Au Vents are a complete revelation to me ;0)
I'm hoping one day I'll be as adventrous in the kitchen as you are!


Shirley September 27, 2009 um 5:33 pm

They look gorgeous and the shrimp one sounds real good.


Gala September 27, 2009 um 5:54 pm

chocolate vols au vent with a salted caramel mousse- I would kill for one of those!!


Anonymous September 27, 2009 um 6:24 pm

They turned out beautiful!


Shine September 27, 2009 um 7:53 pm

Have a wonderful time. I hope you get to learn AND relax!

Some days I come to your blog and look at recipes that are beyond my present circumstances to make, but I still soak in the story behind it and absorb the beauty of your pictures.

Other days I find something that I think I have the energy to tackle and I am so thankful for your seemingly endless ideas.

I live on the Canadian West Coast where shrimp is always plentiful. I can see these Vols-au-Vent becoming a regular on our rotation. They would be wonderful to have for when people drop by.

Thank you!


Wolf September 27, 2009 um 8:04 pm

That salted caramel mousse is calling me name.}:P

Wonderful as always!}:P


steph- whisk/spoon September 27, 2009 um 9:42 pm

you go shrimping every other day–oh, you lucky duck! fantastic vols-au-vents! thanks for finding the time to prepare so many delicious versions!


Elle September 27, 2009 um 10:33 pm

Puff pastry tour de force and all of them are gorgeous! Lucky hubby.


Mutfagimdaki Lezzetler September 27, 2009 um 10:40 pm

Just I wanna say you do really greatfull your job and thank you very much for everything.
All the best with you
Elif


Sue September 27, 2009 um 11:50 pm

Your Vols-au-Vent look BEAUTIFUL! They all sound delicious, but the chocolate/caramel version, I want some…RIGHT NOW! Yum!

BTW, your little milk jugs look so cute:)


maybelle's mom September 27, 2009 um 11:55 pm

you put us all to shame as always. love the chox especially


Anonymous September 28, 2009 um 12:40 am

As always…..Fantastic!!!! Does one need to schedule an appointment to raid your fridge????


Lori September 28, 2009 um 1:27 am

I just love the mascarpone and pear idea. I bet they did go down pretty easily.


Katie @ goodLife {eats} September 28, 2009 um 1:59 am

I would happily eat the screen for this post after only hotel and airport food today. YUM! BlogHer was fun and it was nice chatting, even though I felt like such a dork asking if you were Helen when I saw you in SF airport upon arrival.


Renee September 28, 2009 um 2:14 am

How wonderful!


Frenchie September 28, 2009 um 2:33 am

I shouldn't be surprised that your vols-au-vent look so beautiful, everything you make and photograph always does. I have never seen chocolate puff pastry, but it seems like something I would like. Thank you for a new and creative idea.


Sam September 28, 2009 um 3:05 am

Helen – it was such 'mon plaisir' to meet you yesterday. Enjoy the rest of your stay in our fair city – hope you managed to sample Patisserie Philippe!

Sam


Anonymous September 28, 2009 um 3:21 am

What beautiful photos! I like focus on the foreground with the fuzzy background.


The Urban Baker September 28, 2009 um 4:13 am

Hi! do you blow your photos out on purpose? I love them. S


A September 28, 2009 um 7:29 am

I love coming here every month to see your creations. They are always so brilliant!! I'd love for you to see mine!


Helene September 28, 2009 um 7:41 am

Susan Salzman: I am not sure what you mean by blowing out pictures.

Thank you everyone! Sorry I am not around much, not back home yet.


J September 28, 2009 um 8:37 am

been thinking to buy some puff pastry to use up mayo and all of a sudden i see a homemade one in your blog! hmmph. i wish i lived close to you so that i can ask for the remaining scrape dough 🙂


À Chacun Ses Goûts September 28, 2009 um 11:20 am

Yum, these look delicious. Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe


Fátima September 28, 2009 um 12:03 pm

Wonderful and fillings so yummy!


alana September 28, 2009 um 12:37 pm

So beautiful! The chocolate puff pastry looks especially inspiring, I must say. I might just have to get that rolling pin back out again….


Unknown September 28, 2009 um 3:09 pm

What my eyes keep going back to are the pear tarts with the chocolate puff pastry – how divine. I think I need to take a trip soon to Shem Creek, we love to go eat there when we stay in Charleston. Why don't I have any weekends free any time soon? Whyyyyyyy. 🙂


Philo aux fourneaux – Blog culinaire September 28, 2009 um 3:26 pm

Le challenge est allégrement relevé ! C'est magnifique


cindy* September 28, 2009 um 4:33 pm

gorgeous helen! i'm drooling over here…


NKP September 28, 2009 um 5:20 pm

I love all your wonderful variations!
Those shrimpie ones are especially calling my name. Just gorgeous!


Engineer Baker September 28, 2009 um 5:32 pm

Your puff pastry is gorgeous, as I expected. Too funny though, watching you finish your post up in the middle of the cocktail party 🙂 And given my love of coffee + tiramisu, the tiramisu pear tarts sound absolutely fabulous! It was wonderful meeting you this weekend, and I hope you're still having fun there in CA!


Anonymous September 28, 2009 um 5:55 pm

Mmm chocolate…and someone else did cinnamon…I'm so inspired to get creative the next time with the puff pastry flavors – thanks!


Anonymous September 28, 2009 um 9:53 pm

Beautiful photos (as always) and your pear tiramisu sounds divine! You're always a great source of inspiration.


Anonymous September 29, 2009 um 1:58 am

What a variety of gorgeous creations! I loved this post — you were able to get so many creative twists in there.

I always forget you're in South Carolina! Hello from Charlotte, NC! 🙂


Jenny Tan September 29, 2009 um 2:46 am

Hmmm, why am I not surprised that your V-a-V look so stunning?!! 😉 They look so delicious!! And the shrimp…if I could just yank 'em outta my screen! And the Tiramisu Pear tarts…what an excellent idea. Helen, you're a genius!

And thanks for tips on the crucial 1st two turns. My center was kinda raw, and I think on my 1st 2 turns the butter did tear into my dough…could that be it?!


Anonymous September 29, 2009 um 3:09 am

You ate vol au vent with morels, sweetbreads and cream cooked by your grandmother as a kid? Moi aussi!! Just had a major flashback. 🙂 I think we have been living some parallel life growing up. Somehow.


Mallory Elise September 29, 2009 um 4:02 am

oi! i want milk bottles that size…

tu as fait…mmmm comme quatre recettes differents pour cet seul challenge!!!

i did daring bakers for the first time…guess i couldn't resist any longer 😛


Dana Treat September 29, 2009 um 5:29 am

The most exquisite job as usual. I consider myself a decent baker but I am terrified of making puff pastry. Wish I could fly you out for some lessons. It was such a joy to meet you in SF. I hope the rest of your trip is restful and wonderful.


savorysweetlife September 29, 2009 um 6:29 am

Helen,
I am speechless. Your photos are stunning and your puff pastries are incredible!


Claire September 29, 2009 um 7:59 pm

I love shrimps and wish I had a freezer full! Loved the chocolate ones as well.


Brooke September 29, 2009 um 8:32 pm

Wow. Your photos are absolutely inspiring! Your food styling is incredible and lighting is superb!

Didn't get a chance to meet you at Blogher, but wanted to say it is a pleasure reading and enjoying the gorgeous photos.

Best,
Brooke


veron September 29, 2009 um 9:10 pm

Oh Yum! Everything looks delectable. I love shrimp, so jealous that you go shrimping all the time.


Unknown September 29, 2009 um 10:48 pm

woooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I can not belaive what you made and how beautifull you photographed

every thing look wonderfull


Deeba PAB September 30, 2009 um 2:20 am

Fabulous as usual, and great great pictures. Love the flavour combinations; so much variety!


Julie September 30, 2009 um 2:33 am

So bummed that I missed this one (and BlogHer! agh!) – yours looks phenomenal as usual! I could lick the screen…


Manggy September 30, 2009 um 3:48 am

I must confess, I didn't grow up with puff pastry as many of you did (I'm pretty sure we served chicken a la king in toast containers or timbales). I'm sitting here looking at your gorgeous creations thinking I have to make up for that!!


Pam September 30, 2009 um 3:54 am

I am so glad that I happened upon your blog through a link from Pioneer Woman. First of all your food photography and styling is remarkable! I cannot wait to go through your archives and see what other goodies you have come up with. I was drooling over the chocolate puff pastry!


Anonymous September 30, 2009 um 7:42 am

Wow, the chocolate ones look spectacular.


emiglia September 30, 2009 um 4:56 pm

Wow… you are incredible. What great ideas, and what a beautiful presentation! I'm sure that the taste was just as awesome… kudos (and tell your hubs I'm insanely jealous of all the yummy things he gets to eat)!


Amy J in SC October 1, 2009 um 2:40 am

Rockin' photos, they really make me want to strive to do better.


Cookin' Canuck October 1, 2009 um 3:08 am

I can't get over how beautiful your photos are!


Jess October 1, 2009 um 3:41 am

Your photos are gorgeous as usual! The vols au vent look perfect and delicious. I'm in awe!


Marian October 1, 2009 um 6:29 am

¡¡excelente ¡¡¡


Parisbreakfasts October 1, 2009 um 5:43 pm

An research report-
Cold 5-month old French macarons leave a lot to be desired…ahem

Raider of the Lost Macaron Cache


Jessica October 2, 2009 um 1:45 pm

Tiramisu Pear Tarts? Oh yum.


Florence October 2, 2009 um 3:39 pm

Quel bonheur de découvrir ce blog. C'est tout ce que j'aime,tout est beau et donne envie. J'aimerais tellement pouvoir en faire autant mais il me faut travailler très dur, n'étant pas dans la profession,j'ai du retard. Bravo!


Clumbsy Cookie October 2, 2009 um 9:21 pm

Love your chocolate puff pastry! The tarts are so adorable!


anadelicias October 3, 2009 um 9:09 pm

Your Vol-au-Vent are son delicious!! I love Tiramisu Pear Tartlets…

Great photos, also!!


Joyce Siew October 6, 2009 um 3:44 am

i'm hungry now… I juz learned the art of making puff pastry last weekend, can't wait to get my hands on DIY plus chocolate+caramel? Heaven!


Susan March 6, 2011 um 6:59 pm

I want to try making these. Would you mind sharing your filling and topping recipe for these please? It looks scrumptious.


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