Cannoncini (Italian Cream Horns)
Cannoncini, also known as Italian cream horns, are crispy puff pastry horns filled with luscious, creamy Italian pastry cream (or flavored custard of your choice). Bring a taste of an Italian bakery into your home with this easy and authentic cannoncini recipe!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 batch Italian pistachio custard or your favorite flavor of custard
- 1 sheet puff pastry defrosted (about 225g)
- 1 large egg well beaten (for egg wash)
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Make the Italian pastry cream, cover it with plastic wrap, and leave it in the fridge until needed.
- Heat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the horn molds in a shallow dish and spray them with cooking spray on all sides. Set aside.
- Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a well-floured surface and lightly brush it all over with egg wash. Cut into twelve ¾-inch wide strips.
- Wrap the puff pastry around the molds, starting at the pointed end of the cone mold. Be sure to overlap the dough slightly on each pass, and lightly stretch it as you go to help keep it in place. (Keep the egg wash away from the mold, or it will make it harder to remove the pastry horn from the mold once they're baked.) The dough may only reach about halfway up the mold, but if you have longer strips, it may reach the end. Firmly press the last bit of the strip onto the mold or the dough to seal.
- Place the wrapped molds seam side down onto the prepared sheet pan, then sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until they're golden on top. Let the puff pastry cool for a couple of minutes, then gently remove them from the molds. If the pastry sticks to the mold, use the sharp end of a knife to very gently wiggle it loose.
- Just before serving, fill each pastry with the Italian pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Dust with more powdered sugar if desired and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Keep the puff pastry dough cold! Otherwise, the dough will start to lose consistency.
- Use egg wash to keep the shells on the molds. If you skip this step, the puff pastry will explode out of the mold (trust me, I know from experience!)
- Make the custard filling ahead of time. Since it needs to cool, it will be ready right when you need it!
- Fill the shells right before serving. If you fill them too early, they risk getting soggy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cream horn | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
