I was browsing through Chef Michael Mina’s recipes, looking for one to post alongside the interview, and I stopped on butterscotch pudding. My husband Lulu loves anything butterscotch and I thought it would be a nice treat for him. I didn’t want to serve the pudding by itself in a bowl, and after going through several options in my head (I thought of creating chocolate cups or tart shells), I decided to make a quick puff pastry dough and baked it as a ”vol au vent”.
I filled the puff pastry with Chef Mina’s butterscotch pudding and sprinkled a little powdered sugar over them. To make the flavors more complex, I sautéed a medley of dried fruits and pistachios in butter and added a splash of rose water. If I had time to do butterscotch three ways, a la Chef Mina, I would also have made a stack of mini crêpes layered with butterscotch cream and a butterscotch crème brulée. You won’t go wrong with any of these dishes.
1. Info for Michael Mina’s Butterscotch Pudding (Vol Au Vent Pastry Recipe)
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 330 kcal
2. Ingredients for Michael Mina’s Butterscotch Pudding (Vol Au Vent Pastry Recipe)
- 9 (5 x 5-inch) squares quick and easy puff pastry dough, rolled out about ¼” thick and chilled
- 1-½ cups butterscotch pudding
- 3 tablespoons dried fruits (see tips)
- 1 tablespoon pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon rose extract (or rose water)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, as needed for garnish
3. Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
- I used heart-shaped cookie cutters. Cut the puff pastry dough into 18 large hearts. Using a smaller-sized cookie cutter, cut out holes in the center from the available large hearts. Reserve the mini-hearts as well (they’ll be used a topping for the pastries)
- Lay the large and small hearts out on a silicone mat lined baking sheet. Prick the dough using a fork 3-4 times to let some of the steam out as they bake.
- Brush a thin layer of butter using a silicone brush. Superimpose a large heart with a hole on top of the ones on the baking sheet. Brush another layer of butter and top with the last layer of puff pastry dough (mini-hearts). Finish with a thin layer of melted butter. Plastic wrap the tray and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 375°F; lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 20-25 minutes. The texture of the puff pastry should be very flaky.
- Allow to cool completely.
- In a small pan, melt a tablespoon of butter. Add the dried fruits. Stir well for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and drizzle with rose water. Set aside.
- When you’re ready to serve, pipe or spoon the butterscotch pudding into the pastry. Top with fruits and nuts. Cover the vols au vent with a small puff pastry heart.
- Decorate by dusting the top with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
- Bon appétit!
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