Vol-au-vent is the French name for a flaky puff-pastry shell that can have either a savory or sweet filling. This is a dessert recipe with an unusual star: rich and creamy burrata cheese.

Burrata is a fresh cheese originating in the Puglia region of southern Italy. It is an outer layer of tender, fresh mozzarella filled with stracciatella: a mixture of fresh mozzarella strands and rich cream. Its delicate, creamy texture pairs well with both savory and sweet preparations. (Read more about burrata, its preparation, and its history in this article.)

Amarena cherries are slightly sour black cherries ("amaro" means "bitter"), which are usually preserved in syrup. (Fabbri is a good brand and you can order them online if you cannot find them in a local shop). They also make excellent toppings for ice cream or yogurt, or you can drop one cherry into some sparkling wine, prosecco or champagne for an elegant party drink. The beautiful blue-and-white ceramic jar also makes an excellent keepsake once it's empty.

Though this dessert is neither difficult nor time-consuming, it will make for a really stunning presentation to close out an elegant dinner party -- or perhaps you really want to impress a special someone!

See Also

Burrata: Queen Cheese

Risotto with Radicchio and Burrata

Burrata with Fresh Fruit Coulis

Ingredients

• Two 10-inch by 13-inch sheets of store-bought puff pastry dough (some brands sell pre-shaped puff-pastry shells, which makes this recipe even easier, if you choose to use those!)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 20 amarena cherries in syrup
• One 7-ounce/200-gram burrata
• Powdered sugar, for serving

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Preparation

For the vols-au-vent:

Preheat the oven to 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

Lay one pastry sheet on parchment paper and cut out 12 hearts or circles with a heart-shaped or round cutter. Set 4 of the hearts aside. Cut a heart-shaped or round hole in the remaining 8 hearts with a smaller heart-shaped or round cutter. (See also this helpful illustrated guide to cutting and shaping vol-au-vent.)

Place the 4 whole heart shapes on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Brush the surface of each heart with the beaten egg, then overlap two hollowed-out hearts on top of each of the 4 whole hearts, brushing a bit of beaten egg in between each layer. Brush the tops of the shells with egg also and bake for about 10 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

To serve:

Slightly shred the burrata, add a little of the amarena syrup and combine. Fill each of the 4 hearts and garnish each serving with 4 to 5 cherries. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.