Means light as wind; you must therefore make this paste very delicate. It is used for first or second courses. Of all things in pastry the vol-au-vent requires the most care and precision; they that can make a good vol-au-vent may be stamped as good pastry-cooks. Make a pound of puff paste, giving it seven rolls and a half, leave it an inch in thickness, make a mark upon the top either round or oval, and according to the size of your dish; then, with a sharp-pointed knife cut it out from the paste, holding the knife with the point slanting outwards; turn it over, mark the edges with the back of your knife, and place it upon a baking-sheet, which you have sprinkled with water; egg over the top, then dip the point of the knife into hot water, and cut a ring upon the top a quarter of an inch deep, and half an inch from the edge of the vol-au-vent; set in a rather hot oven; if getting too much color, cover over with a sheet of paper; do not take it out before done, or it would fall, but when quite set, cut off the lid and empty it with a knife: be careful to make no hole in the side or bottom; if for first course it is ready, but if for second sift sugar all over, which glaze with the salamander. Regulate the thickness of the paste from which you cut the vol-au-vent, according to the size you require it, the smaller ones of course requiring thinner paste. A vol-au-vent for entrees will take about half an hour to bake and as the common iron ovens often throw out more heat upon one side than the other, it will require turning two or three times to cause it to rise equally; it ought to be when baked of a light gold color.

Vol-Au- Vent Of Peaches

Put half a pound of sugar in a sugar-pan, with the juice of a lemon and about half a pint of water, place it upon the fire, and boil it till becoming a thickish syrup; then have eight peaches not quite ripe, which cut in halves, break their stones and blanch the kernels, throw six halves with the kernels into the syrup, boil three minutes, take them out with a skimmer, lay them upon a dish, and take off their skins, stew the rest in syrup in like manner, four at a time; when all done pour what liquor runs from them again into the syrup, which reduce to a good thickness, pass it through a tammy into a basin, when cold pour a little over the peaches, and leave until ready to serve; dress the peaches in your vol-au-vent with the syrup over.

Vol-Au-Vent With Fruit

These do not require to be so high as the other, especially as the fruit ought to be dressed in the form of a pyramid; if they are cut about three-quarters of an inch in thickness it will be enough; when nearly done, sift some powdered sugar over them, and put it back in the oven to glaze well; if not hot enough use the salamander; remove the interior, taking care not to make a hole in the bottom or sides, and fill with any kind of fruit you like, but never mix two kinds together, except currant and raspberry.

Sweet Vol-Au-Vent With Rhubarb

In the spring of the year this makes a very inviting and wholesome dish, and its qualities purify the blood, which the winter's food has rendered gross; cut about twelve sticks of rhubarb into lengths of one inch, put it in a stewpan holding about two quarts, put over it a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a table-spoonful of water, set it on a sharp lire, stirring it; do not let it get brown, or it would spoil, and lose its flavor; it will take but a few minutes to do; when tender, put it in a basin to cool; a few minutes before serving fill the vol-au-vent with it, and serve cold.

Sweet Vol-Au-Vent With Green Gooseberries

A quart of green gooseberries, a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and a table-spoonful of water; put on the fire and move it about for ten minutes, or till tender, and forming a thick green marmalade; put it in a basin till cold; serve in pyramid in the vol-au-vent; a little thick syrup, if handy, poured over, improves the appearance.

Sweet Vol-Au-Vent With Orange

Well peel six oranges, removing all the pith, divide each into six or eight pieces, put them in a pan, with a quarter of a pound of sugar, and the juice of an orange, set it on a slow fire, with the cover on, stir it now and then - ten minutes will be sufficient time for it; take out the pieces one after the other, lay them in a basin, reduce your syrup to a proper thickness; when ready to serve, dish your pieces of orange in it, and pour over the syrup.