Puff Pastry Patty Shells

Patty shells are the classic vol-au-vent case: hollow puff pastry cups ready to hold creamed chicken, seafood Newburg, mushroom ragout, or any saucy filling that needs a crisp edible bowl. Two ingredients, one puff pastry sheet and an egg wash, carry the whole thing.

Cutting cleanly is what separates a tall, even rise from a sad lopsided one. Press the 3-inch cutter straight down without twisting. A twist seals the layers at the edge and the pastry can’t puff.

The ¼-inch inner cut doesn’t go all the way through. It scores a lid so the center can be lifted out after baking, leaving a clean hollow while the rim climbs high around it.

Ten minutes in the freezer before baking firms the butter layers so they steam into distinct leaves instead of melting into a greasy blob. The hot-start, drop-to-400 method sets the outer layers fast, then finishes baking the interior through.

Pro Tips

• Keep everything cold. Work on a chilled surface if your kitchen runs warm, and return the pastry to the fridge if it starts feeling soft.
• Brush the egg wash only on top, never down the cut sides. Egg running down the layers glues them shut and kills the rise.
• Use a sharp metal cutter, not a glass or cookie cutter with a rolled edge. Rolled edges pinch the pastry closed.
• Cut rounds as close together as possible. Rerolled scraps rise unevenly because the layer structure gets mangled.

Variations

• Use a fluted cutter for a decorative scalloped rim.
• Make mini bouchées with a 1½-inch cutter for canapés and hors d’oeuvres.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame before freezing for savory-topped shells.