Che Belli CANNOLI - DB

I am not worthy...I am not worthy. That was my first thought when I read that Cannoli was the pastry for the November Daring Baker's challenge. I am fortunate enough to have visited Italy and tasted these pastries made the way they should be eaten...oh, I'm swooning just thinking about them, AND the whole Italian experience. Can you tell: I'm a little in love with all things Italian. I have studied the language for a few years (on and off), visited all regions (every year for 5 years) and value my beloved Italian teacher (now good friend), Lorena Bignamini - and another one of my best friends, Erika Nadir, who teaches Italian at UCLA. I live in giant gratitude for the opportunities to travel to this amazing country and the friends that have come into my life as a result of my...well, frankly, obsession.

But fear not, readers and friends. If a young woman like myself (hey, it's the internet I can say whatever I feel like saying) can take a little flour, sugar, red wine and seasonings, and (with a bit of hot oil) create this flaky, bubbled, crispy sweet round tube packed with whipped delishiousness - SO CAN YOU.

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

I couldn't launch into this Cannoli-making adventure without finding out a little about the Who/What/Where regarding these pastries. It was no surprise to learn that the Arab influence during Medieval times actually began the process. Before the Arabs brought sugar to Sicily, most pastries were sweetened with honey. The first time a Chef or cook tasted sugar cane and then started experimenting with it must have been like a carnival in the kitchen. In fact, research offers that the first time Cannoli were served was during Carnivale in Italy. The name, Cannoli, is from the word Canna - similar to Cane in Sugar Cane. Guess why. Like the tubes that are used for forming the Cannoli pastry, the first cooks wrapped the pastry around SUGAR CANES before cooking them in oil and filling them with the mixture of Spring Season fresh Sheep's Ricotta cheese and Sugar whipped together. The classic Cannoli is filled with Ricotta, Sugar and often candied fruits and nuts. The Italians love their endings to words (ie. piccolo and bacione) that means something is litte or huge. Canna plus the ending that would make it cute and small; olo. The plural adds the i instead of o = Cannoli!

The tubes for making Cannoli are not hard to find online or in a baking shop and aren't so expensive, but you can also use short wooden dowels (like cut broom handles).

The directions that we were given are below; along with a few pics to show the process and expected colors, etc. The fillings are up to you. I did the classic Ricotta, but with chipped chocolate, a Cinnamon Pumpkin Filling with Candied Ginger, and a Rose Pastry Cream.

Go for it! Then, save/plan/stretch/beg and borrow til you find yourself sitting on a little patio in the world's most friendly country, sipping a real caffe and closing your eyes every time you bite into a hand-rolled Cannoli. Che Buono!

CANNOLI SHELLS
2 cups (250 grams/8.82 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Pasta Machine method:
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through

2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.

For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 - 190 °C).

2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.

CANNOLI FILLING
2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1 2/3 cups cup (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice
2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange
3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios

Note - If you want chocolate ricotta filling, add a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, and thin it out with a few drops of warm water if too thick to pipe.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:
1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:
1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.

2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

Nutella Toaster -Tarts

It's one of those mornings; what happened to the alarm? I know I set it. Now everyone is late (my son for school, my husband for work, me for a meeting) and we're all scrambling around in our own improvised French Farce. The doors are opening and shutting, water on and off, the dog sits in the hallway watching the chaos whining for his food. FOOD! There's no time for breakfast? Then, I remember; Homemade Nutella Toaster Tarts.
I made them 2 days ago, froze them on a sheet pan, then bagged them and placed them in the freezer for a day just like this one. I'm almost glad the alarm didn't go off, just so I can gloat in my own uber organizational skills (which don't happen that often). I trot downstairs, grab a few Nutella Toaster Tarts out of the freezer and place them on my toaster oven rack. I turn the toaster on to 300F, set the timer for 15" and run back upstairs to finish the express version of my morning prep. About the time the buzzer rings, my son is downstairs and hits the toaster button one time for a good crispy outside - it dings and we're all standing there ready with our napkins for a healthier version of fast food. I say healthier because I've added a little whole wheat flour and a pinch of flaxseed into the pastry for the Toaster Tarts, and although Nutella isn't like a plate of egg whites; it does have nutritional value (by far more than skipping breakfast would at least). Is it the BEST way to eat a breakfast? NO. Does it match my support for SLOW FOOD? Not really. Will it do in a pinch, supply some nutrients and taste amazing? ABSOLUTELY! In fact, these are so tasty my son's friends ask for them every time they come over. They'll never know that with each one they scarf down (and believe me those boys can put a few away) they are also getting a day's worth of fiber and nutrients.

These are simple; made with the basic 3-2-1 pie pastry, dolloped with nutella, covered and poked, then frozen.
I first experimented with these for a monthly Nutella Challenge that started a few months ago with Paula at Bell'Alimento. Nutella is so loved and versatile that many talented food bloggers have joined in the fun of developing new recipes each month using this chocolate/nutty spread. Check out the other recipes right here: Nutella Challenge Players Obviously, these Toaster Tarts can be filled with jam (I used my own Plum and Cinnamon and it was rich and warm). I've also loved them with a filling of: 1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar, a sprinkling of raisins, and a pinch of cinnamon. Let me know if you have other ideas. By the way, these make a great breakfast actually placed on a plate beside a cup of coffee, still in your pajamas and the morning paper spread out, too.
Nutella Toaster-Tarts

4 oz. All Purpose Flour
2 oz. Whole Wheat Flour
3 oz. Butter (chilled, cubed)
1 oz. Flaxseed milled
3 oz. cold water
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 egg beaten for wash
Nutella

Combine the flours, salt, sugar and flaxseed milled thoroughly. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips til you have the texture of course meal.
Add the water and mix just until the dough comes together. Pat into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and chill for about 20 minutes (or up to 1 day).
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out to a rectangle, and about 1/8 inch thick.
Cut even squares about 4inch (or you can use a large cookie cutter).
Place a dollop of Nutella in the center of every other square (it will take two squares to make a tart).
Brush the edges of the squares with egg wash, and cover with the matching pastry square. Press slightly to secure the Nutella center.
Using a fork, press around the edges to secure a seal, and poke a few holes into the tops.
** At this point you can freeze the Pocket Tarts for several weeks, and bake straight from the freezer***

If baking now, brush the tops of each tart with egg wash (optionally: sprinkle with cinnamon)
and bake 350F for 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

WHEN BEING FLAKY IS GOOD- Daring Bakers Puff Pastry: Vols au Vents

This is my second challenge with The Daring Baker's, and I had a kitchen party, all by myself, playing with these Vols au Vents. I turned flakier than the dough trying to decide: how do I want to fill them, how could I add my spin to the dough flavor, do I like them crispier or softer, are they better warm or at room temperature? Ultimately I made about 8 different kinds of Vols au Vents, and then used the scraps (we really need a better word for such luscious leftovers) to make Cinnamon Twirls and Cheese Buttons.


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.

When I was a child, my Southern Grandma made biscuits twice a day: early in the morning before the sun came up, and early in the afternoon before the sun went down. She was a farmer and the eggs were so fresh they were still warm, the water came from a well, and the milk was poured from bucket to bowl. Her biscuits were tall and flaky and sweet without using any sugar (I think it was the milk, but I've never been able to achieve this). Sometimes for our dinner she would lay a biscuit on a plate, pull the middle out of the biscuit, fill it with chicken stew and place the top back on. The chicken stew would ooze over the top. I'm sure she never heard of Vols au Vent, but that's what they reminded me of and it was a sweet, sweet memory. Isn't that one of the best things about cooking and food?

Many things are better when they're home-made, and Puff Pastry is at the top of that list. Not only is this buttery, million-layered dough amazingly tasty; there are unlimited ways to use it, both savory and sweet. OK, maybe it takes you a day (on and off) to create this super-rise "omni-dough", but it freezes really well and when you present it...we're talkin' out-loud ohhs and ahhs. Take pictures just in case you need proof you created it yourself.

My Sweet and Savory Favorites were:

The Basic Puff Vols au Vent with Chicken in Honey Tarragon
with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Vols au Vent with Seckel Pear in Caramel

Whole Wheat Vols au Vent
w/ Yogurt Lemon Pastry Cream & Blueberries

Whole Wheat Vols au Vent
w/Herb Roasted Heritage Cherry Tomato

Dill Vols au Vent
w/Scrambled Egg & Salmon

Here's a visual guide to the steps, (using my Whole Wheat version) and the basic recipe after that. Below the Basic Recipe will be the tweaks I used for Fresh Dill-Puff Pastry, Whole Wheat Puff Pastry and all the fillings.

Vols Au Vent: w/ Basic Puff Pastry

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

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).


WHOLE WHEAT VERSION:
(whole wheat flour is heavier than all-purpose so using half and half of whole wheat pastry flour helps the layers to rise as the butter steams inside)

124 g. Whole Wheat Flour
124 g. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

5 oz. ice water
8 oz. unsalted butter
(follow directions as per Basic Puff Pastry above)

LEMON YOGURT PASTRY CREAM w/Blueberries
1 cup plain yogurt
2 egg yolks
2 Tbls. Agave syrup
2 tsps. Flour
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

Heat yogurt in small saucepan, on Med., just til very warm. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, Agave, Flour and salt together until pale and thick. Temper the eggs into the warm yogurt by adding a little egg to the yogurt mixture (whisking continuously), then adding all the egg to the warm yogurt. Whisk in the zest and lemon juice and heat again on Med., stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened. Chill to set with plastic wrap clinging to the pastry cream to avoid a covering film. Spoon pastry cream into the Whole Wheat Vols au Vents. Top with fresh blueberries (optional: toss the blueberries in a Tsp. of Agave before using them as topping.)

CHERRY HERITAGE TOPPERS
1 basket of Heritage Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh herbs
Salt/Pepper
Olive Oil
Cut tomatoes in half and put on a parchment lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh herbs. Bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Use one tomato (or two depending on size of your pastry circles) as a topper for the Whole Wheat Vols au Vent. Garnish with fresh herbs. (Optional: if using a really nice Olive oil, add a drizzle to garnish)


DILL PUFF PASTRY:
Create a compound butter by mixing 1Tbls. of fresh, chopped dill and 1 Tbls. of fresh lemon juice into room temp. butter. Then, chill the butter in block form and continue recipe as per Basic Puff Pastry above.


EGGS AND SALMON:
3 eggs
1 Tbls. heavy cream
1 tsp. fresh chopped dill
pinch of salt
1 Salmon Fillet (cooked) I sauteed Salmon fillet in Olive oil, s&p, then cooled.
Whisk eggs with cream, salt and dill until light and frothy. Pour into heated skillet (on Med/High) that has a drizzle of olive oil. Let eggs cook for a moment then gently turn over in lumps with a large spoon. Remove from heat while still a little runny, as the eggs will continue to cook while off the heat.
Cut Cooked Salmon into small cubes/pieces and fold into the scrambled eggs.
Spoon mixture into the Dill-Vols au Vents and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.


PEARS in CARAMEL
Cut Pears in half.
Place in a baking dish, cut side down. Add a few Tablespoons of water to the dish and bake pears for 15-25 minutes depending on kinds of pears and size.

Chill pears or hold at room temp. while preparing the Caramel.

In a saucepan, heat 3 Tbls. Butter, 1/3 cup Sugar, and 1 Tbls. Brown Sugar on Med/High heat until Caramel Brown.

Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 2 tsp. lemon juice. Stir til thickened.

Put a small amount of Caramel sauce in each Vols au Vent, then place pear half on top in a tilt. Optionally: sprinkle with chopped nuts or drizzle with more Caramel.

CHICKEN w/HONEY TARRAGON
1 cup of cooked chicken, cubed
2 TBLs. Whole Grain Mustard
2 TBLs. Honey
2 TBLs. Fresh Tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 celery, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/4 cup diced, cooked bacon
(optional: 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese)

In a saucepan on Med. heat, add the mustard, honey, cream and tarragon. Salt to taste while heating and stirring until thickened. Cool and hold.
Combine cubed chicken, celery, cranberries, and bacon with enough dressing to coat well. Add pecans and feta, fold together. Spoon into each Vols au Vent and drizzle more dressing to taste.



Be sure to check out the other gorgeous, delicious ways to use Puff Pastry by our fabulous other Daring Bakers.

Puff Pastry is worth the time and effort. Do the Puff!