VOL-AU-VeNT WReATH
SERVES 12 ✷ PREP 20 MINS ✷ COOKING 10 MINS
INGREDIENTS
48 bought mini vol-au-vents pastries
250g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
60ml (¼ cup) thickened cream
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra small leaves, to serve
1 tbs finely grated lemon rind
2 tbs frozen baby peas
½ avocado, mashed
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
8 tiny tom tomatoes, halved
4 turkey slices, each cut into 4 strips
2 tbs cranberry sauce Small fresh thyme sprigs, to serve
150g thinly sliced smoked trout, cut into strips
Chopped fresh chives and baby red-vein sorrel leaves, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Place the vol-au-vents on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes to refresh. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
2 Meanwhile, use electric beaters to beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add the cream. Beat until combined. Season. Transfer half of the mixture to a separate bowl. Stir the basil into 1 bowl and 2 tsp lemon rind into the other bowl.
3 Place the peas in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 2 minutes. Drain. Stir through the avocado, lemon juice and remaining lemon rind. Season.
4 Spoon the cream cheese mixtures into separate piping bags fitted with large plain nozzles. Pipe the basil mixture into 16 vol-au-vents. Top each with a tomato half and an extra basil leaf. Pipe the lemon mixture into 16 remaining vol-au-vents. Top with the turkey, cranberry sauce and thyme.
5 Spoon the avocado mixture into the remaining vol-au-vents. Top with the trout, chives and sorrel. Arrange the filled vol-au-vents on a serving platter in a wreath shape.
GET AHEAD
Make the cream cheese mixtures 3 hours before. Store in the piping bags in the fridge. Bring back to room
