Homemade Flakies, a nostalgic tribute to a Canadian classic! (2024)

Homemade Flakies with raspberry compote & vanilla cream. A nostalgic tribute to the Vachon Flakie, one of my very favourite snack cake treats as a kid.

February 2022, update. A new instructional video shows you how easy it is to make these temping treats for your Sweetheart for Valentine’s Day!

When I was making these homemade flakies, I thought, “Just howmany Vachon Flakies did I eat as a kid?” Too many to count and I know for certain I was not the only one who loved them.

Back in the day when junk food was still sold in schools, I had one practically every day at Coley’s Point Elementary School back home in Bay Robert’s.

I remember they sold glasses of milk in styrofoam cups in the school canteen for 15 cents. A Vachon Flakie cost the exact same amount and that was my recess practically every day from about grades 4 to 6.

Many of our American readers won’t be familiar with the Vachon Flakie. Ding Dongs and Twinkies were unknown to us growing up in the 70’s in rural Newfoundland.

We had Half Moons, Jos Louis and Mae Wests as the familiar snack cakes we knew well. All of them are still popular today.

Flakies were my fave.

A Flakie though was, and still is, made from puff pastry with a layer of apple raspberry jam and a frosting-like cream at the centre. I almost never ate mine intact.

I was obsessed with the filling , so I always disassembled them, eating the top first, then nibbling around the bottom to leave a perfect square of pastry topped with cream and jam!

At that point, it was 4 bites of frosting filled goodness that was my kid heart’s delight. It was a bit odd, I suppose but I’m sure I wasn’t the only kid who ate them that way. I could point to a couple of old school friends…but I won’t. 😉

They came to mind recently when I was thinking of posting a simple recipe to make with little kids who would want to surprise Dad for Father’s Day. My kids and I always made cakes together for Mother’s Day, and I thought perhaps this nostalgic treat would be a great choice.

You can use my recipe forShortcutPuff Pastry here, but since sheets of great quality, all butter puff pastry are readily available in your supermarket freezer, it’s far quicker and easier to make these homemade flakies using that. In fact, I used a 1 pound package in this case to make 9 pastries.

Filling options

I’ve included 2 options for the cream filling. You can use Vanilla Whipped Cream or to be more like the actual Flakie, you can use the Vanilla Buttercream Option. Both are equally delicious, so it’s completely your choice.

So go ahead and make these for dear old Dad this weekend. He’s sure to enjoy them. They’d also make great picnic items or an easy summer BBQ dessert too!

For a Newfoundland twist on this recipe, why not try them using Partridgeberry Apple Jam.

If you prefer, you can also try the caramel version of this recipe.

Originally published June 2017. Updated April 2020.

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Yield: 9 large pastries or 16 small

Homemade Flakies with raspberry compote & vanilla cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Homemade Flakies with raspberry compote & vanilla cream - a nostalgic tribute to the Vachon Flakie, one of my very favourite snack cake treats as a kid.

Ingredients

• Two 12 inch square sheets puff pastry
• Granulated sugar
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water, (to make an egg wash)

For the Raspberry Compote Filling

• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup water

For the Vanilla Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 2-3 tbsp milk, (adjust to achieve the proper consistency)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Or If you prefer Vanilla Whipped Cream to frosting

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 rounded tbsp icing sugar, (powdered sugar)
• 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To prepare the pastry

1. Whisk the egg and water together to make an egg wash.
2. Lay out one of the sheet of puff pastry on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly brush it with the egg wash.
3. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will make the pastry easier to cut evenly.
4. Using a very sharp knife, trim the edges square, then cut the pastry into 9 squares (or 16 squares for a mini version.)
5. Spread the squares out a couple of inches a[art on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush the tops with the egg was h and then sprinkle granulated sugar over the tops (optional).
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F until evenly golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

To prepare the Raspberry Filling

1. Slowly simmer raspberries & sugar together for about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the corn starch mixture stirring constantly and cook for an additional minute. Cool completely to room temperature then in the fridge.

To prepare the Vanilla Frosting

1. Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Split the cooled pastries horizontally with a sharp serrated knife.

IF You Prefer Vanilla Whipped Cream

1. Just whip together the whipping cream, vanilla and icing sugar to firm peaks.

To assemble the pastries.

1. With a Sharp serrated knife, cut each of the baked pastries in half horizontally.
2. Spread a rounded tablespoon of the raspberry on the bottom pastry portion and a heaping tablespoon of vanilla frosting/cream on the top half of the pastry before bringing the two halves together.
3. Store in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Nutritional information provided is based upon the larger sized option of 9 pastries per batch.

Nutrition Information

Yield

9

Serving Size

9 large pastries or 16 small
Amount Per ServingCalories 483Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 18mgSodium 184mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 4gSugar 31gProtein 4g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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