Of all things in pastry require the most care and precision; they that
can make a good vol-au-vent may be stamped as good pastrycooks, although
many variations in working puff paste, all others are of a secondary
importance. Make a pound of puff paste (No. 1132) giving it only six
rolls and a half instead of seven, 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 colour 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; 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 entrées 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 equal; it ought to be when baked of a
light gold colour.