Michael Mina’s Butterscotch Pudding (Vol Au Vent Pastry Recipe)

Michael Mina's Butterscotch Pudding (Vol Au Vent Pastry Recipe)

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)

2. Ingredients for Michael Mina’s Butterscotch Pudding (Vol Au Vent Pastry Recipe)

3. Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  3. 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)
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Allow to cool completely.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Decorate by dusting the top with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
  11. Bon appétit!


Please rate this article