Every month I find myself saying how the challenge leaves me excited and slightly intimidated...it's actually a nice feeling! The recipe included a lot of French words that I can't even begin to translate (although I do know a wee bit of French from high school).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.
Yep, vols-au-vent made with pate feuillette. For all you non-French speakers- loosely translated as buttery bread bowls made with homemade puff pastry. This challenge was really great! I totally feel like a real pastry chef! I made my own Puff Pastry!! I didn't even know you could make your own! I just thought it was one of those things you buy premade from the grocery store. Needless to say, I'll definitely be making my own puff pastry again!
The recipe's a bit long to post, but I will post this video that I found really informative and has a recipe in it. Julia Child Video: http://video.pbs.org/video/1174110297/search/Pastry. After we made the puff pastry we cut rings and stacked them together to make the vols au vent. Then I made a pastry cream from the "Mastering French Cooking" cookbook by Julia Child. Delicious. Addictively, ridiculously delicious and easy to make. For some I filled with strawberry, others I topped with figs, and others I put homemade pear jam or apple sauce on. Yum. The dough was delicious, light and fluffy and buttery. Definitely best the day of baking, leftovers were not very good I thought later. The dough tasted great with the cream and fruit. I do think the dough alone was a little bit bland. I don't know if adding sugar would mess up the integrity of the recipe, but I wish there was a hint of sweetness to the cough.
And, the newest member of my family, Mr. Norman Tumnis. We were just going to call him Mr. Tumnis (or just Tummy), but we like the idea of him having a first name. So cute! He's a Muggin! (Min Pin Pug mix)
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