Vols-au-Vent

To use pastry cutters successfully for clean shapes , have a small patch of flour near and dip the cutter in it each time it is used.

This can be a lovely alternative from Homemade pizza.

Ingredients

• 2 (368g/13 oz) packets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• beaten egg to glaze
• Filling:
• 3/4 quantity white sauce
• 50 g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 50 g cooked ham, diced
• 100 g peeled cooked prawns
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 50 g sliced cooked mushrooms
• 100 g cooked chicken , diced
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• salt and pepper

Cooking Process

1. Roll out the pastry to 5 mm/ 1/4 inch thickness and stamp out 24 circles using 7.5 cm/3 inch plain cutter.
2. Transfer 12 circles to a greased baking tray, prick with a fork and brush with beaten egg.
3. Using a 5 cm/2 inch cutter, cut out the centres of the remaining circles.
4. Lift the rings carefully on to the bases , press down firmly .
5. Glaze the cases and bake in a hot oven for a further 10 minutes.
6. Divide the sauce into three; add the Cheddar cheese and ham to 1/3, the prawns and lemon juice to another, and the mushrooms, chicken, sherry and seasoning to the final 1/3.
7. Fill the vol-au-vent cases.
8. Reheat in a hot oven before serving , garnishing as illustrated if you like.

Bon Apetite!