A very simple and quick dessert idea, perfect to conclude holiday menus or for special occasions. Sweet vol-au-vents are filled with soft Chantilly cream and garnished with red currants or other fruits of your choice… they are easy to make, yet very cute to present at the table. I used ready-made vol-au-vents (you can find them in all supermarkets, in different brands and shapes), but if you have more time you can make them with fresh puff pastry. Try this recipe, it is really delicious… and if you have some leftover cream, you can use it to fill cream puffs or tartlets!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
- Energy 195.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.83 (g) of which sugars 4.30 (g)
- Proteins 1.77 (g)
- Fat 15.86 (g) of which saturated 3.39 (g)of which unsaturated 0.01 (g)
- Fibers 0.55 (g)
- Sodium 64.77 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 vol-au-vents
- 1 cup cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Half pod vanilla
- red currants (or strawberries, or raspberries)
- 1 orange
- mint (a few leaves, to taste)
Tools
- Mixer
- Bowl
- Piping Bag
- Tray
Preparation
Start by preparing the Chantilly cream: pour the cream into a tall bowl, previously chilled in the freezer, add the seeds extracted from the vanilla pod and the powdered sugar.
Whip the cream with the electric mixer until it is fluffy and firm. Do not continue too long, as the cream will separate and you will get butter.
Transfer the Chantilly into a piping bag, fitted with the nozzle of your choice.
Distribute the cream in the vol-au-vents without compressing it.
Garnish the top with the previously washed and dried red currants. Cut the orange into slices, then into small wedges, and add them to the currants.
Finally, decorate as you like with mint leaves. If you like, you can dust the edge of the vol-au-vents with a little powdered sugar.
Your sweet vol-au-vents are ready to be served as a delicious dessert!
Tips and Notes
Try to prepare the cream just before serving it to avoid the cream collapsing. If you need to prepare it in advance, it is preferable to use diplomatic cream or a mascarpone and cream cheese (without eggs).
I recommend filling the vol-au-vents at the last minute so the puff pastry remains crisp.
To obtain a soft and fluffy Chantilly, make sure to chill well (about 10-15 minutes in the freezer) both the cream and the bowl and the whisk blades of the mixer.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of Chantilly cream?
Classic pastry cream, diplomatic cream, or mascarpone cream are all great alternatives.
What fruit can I use instead of currants?
You can decorate the vol-au-vents with any fruit you prefer, depending on the season and your tastes: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, lemon slices, etc.
