Vol-au-vent Cases

Ingredients

• Maida (all-purpose flour) (prepare the laminated dough as in the Vegetable Puffs recipe, with more layers than usual)
• Masala filling (prepared as in the Vegetable Puffs recipe)
• Grated cooking cheese (optional, to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

1. Prepare and laminate the puff dough as described in recipe 25 (Vegetable Puffs), then cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. This dough needs more layers than a regular puff.
2. Take two round biscuit cutters, one 4 inches and one 3 inches in diameter. First cut the puff pastry using the 4-inch cutter. Then press the 3-inch cutter into the center of each round to about three-quarters of the depth, and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully lift out the inner circle of layers with a knife, keeping it aside to use as a lid. Bake again until golden. Once baked, fill the case with the masala, place the reserved lid on top, and serve as little boxes.
4. Note: instead of using only vanaspati or only margarine, you can mix the two together, or mix in a little butter as well. Alternative: if you like, sprinkle a little grated cooking cheese over the masala and bake for a few more minutes before serving.