What is Vol au Vent?
This easy, sweet Vol au Vent recipe transforms a classic French pastry into a heavenly dessert. The name itself literally translates to “windblown” in English given their flaky and airy texture. Thanks to the unique way of stacking the dough, they form into light and airy puff pastry cases, perfect for both sweet and savoury fillings. They are known for their versatility and the contrast between the crisp, golden shell and the rich apple filling.
This recipe for sweet Vol au Vents with Apple-Cinnamon filling could not be easier
The filling of lightly sweet and cinnamon-y apples is the perfect fix for this winter’s season. And while these puff pastry cases look to impress, they are very easy to make. You only need a few key ingredients:
- Puff Pastry: We recommend store bought dough for convenience but you can make you’re own as shown in this video. We brush the dough with an eeg wash to give the Vol au Vents the classic shine
- Apples: You can use any kind of apple you like to give a more sweet or sour note. Once sautéed in a bit of butter, they add a soft, indulgent texture
- Spices: A bit of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg bring the apple filling to the next level and make this easy dessert a true winter treat
How to Make the Vol au Vent Pastry Cases
Creating the pastry cases is a straightforward process, thanks to store-bought puff pastry:
- Preheat your oven as per the pastry package instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into circles
- Score a smaller circle inside half of the pastry pieces, ensuring not to cut all the way through
- Brush the circles with egg and stack two on top of another
- Bake until the pastry puffs up and turns golden brown, creating a hollow center
- Once cooled, gently remove the center portion to create the pastry case, ready to be filled with the apple filling
Still deciding? You might also like this apple crumble, apple rings or palmier cookies.
This easy, sweet Vol au Vent recipe with apple cinnamon filling offers a taste of French elegance while being very easy to make. These delicate, puff pastry cases filled with soft, lightly sweet apples are a must try for any this winter and Christmas season. We hope you love them as much as we do!
Easy sweet Vol au Vent with Apple Cinnamon Filling
Ingredients
Puff pastry cases
- 1 store bought puff pastry dough
- 1 egg, beaten for the egg wash
Apple filling
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
- 1 walnut-sized piece of butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- Optional: vanilla ice cream to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the puff pastry: Use a glass or bowl to cut 6 circles with a 10cm (4 inch) diameter. Now use a smaller glass and mark a smaller circle on top of 3 of the large circles (you do not want to cut through the dough). Once baked, this middle part will be cut out to create the lid of your case.
- Stack your cases: Brush all the circles with a beaten egg, then lay each circle with a mark on top of an unmarked one. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins at 180°C (356° F) until golden.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a sauce pan, melt butter, then add cubed apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Let them simmer on medium hit until softened. If it get's too dry, add some water and let it evaporate.
- Assemble: Use a sharp knife to gently cut through the smaller, marked circle to lift it off. Fill the inside of the bucket with the apple filling. Enjoy like this or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
