Puff pastry horns are a simple and well-liked pastry that is crispy and buttery. The possibilities are unlimited as long as you have the molds, which are sold at all reputable cooking stores.
Miniature cream horns on a wire rack with raspberries on top, as seen from above.
What’s not to love about thick, vanilla-flavored cream that’s been wrapped in a flaky, buttery pastry?
Delicious and comforting, especially on chilly cold days.
Cream horns are a tasty small pastry in the form of a cone. These pastries, which are often created with puff pastry, can be filled with whatever you choose.
These pastries are frequently filled with cream, little jam, and fruits like strawberries and raspberries. Yet the ingredients for these pastries are limited by your creativity!
These crispy pastries, known in Italy as “cannoncini,” can be filled with Italian pastry cream, simple whipped cream, or mascarpone cream. They are available in all pastry shops and are a delicacy after lunch.
They are a delicious bite-sized delight that is also quite delicate. They’re barely around 2 inches (5cm) long.
And all I did was spread out the crust, sprinkle it with sugar (for added crispness), slice it into strips, and roll it around the cone. Isn’t it as simple as that?! Fill with cream and top with icing sugar, if desired. Delightful.
Pastry Ingredients
- 500g all-purpose flour
- 250g cold butter, diced
- 250g sour cream
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
Cream Ingredients
- 600 ml cream, cold
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- a touch of vanilla or rose water – optional
How to make a Cream Horns Pastry
- Put all the ingredients into the bowl and quickly knead the dough until all of the ingredients are combined. You can use a food processor.
- Refrigerate for about 60 minutes, covered in foil.
- Take from the fridge and lightly dust with flour before rolling out to a thickness of 1mm to achieve around 9 by 12inch rectangle. Cut into 1.5cm broad pieces. You should have around 12 stripes. Simple method: divide the pastry into three sections, then cut each section into four strips.
- Each strip should be rolled onto a horn mold starting with the smaller end to the broader end. The pastry should be overlapping about half of the length.
- Put the seam (end of the strip) side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- You can sprinkle it with sugar if you wish.
- Combine 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl. Brush each pastry cone lightly with the egg wash. Make sure the egg wash stays away from the mold. After baking, it will be more challenging to remove the pastry horn from the mold.
- Bake at 400°F (200 °C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is brown.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before carefully removing them from the mold. If the pastry adheres to the mold, carefully press it in (to make the diameter smaller) and flip it inside the crust until it falls off.
How to make a cream
Fill the pastry with cream using a piping bag. You can do that just before serving or like me in advance. I like when the pastry takes a little bit of moisture from the cream. If desired, top with powdered sugar and serve.
Tips for success and FAQs
For baking, place the pastry end-side down so that it does not spring up during the cooking process.
How long do empty cream horns last?
Empty pastry shells can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days. Freeze for up to a month in an airtight jar to preserve for longer.
Can I fill horns in advance?
These pastries may be filled several hours ahead of time if you use my buttercream recipe. Store in the refrigerator. Whether using pastry cream or whipped cream, fill no more than half an hour before serving. But like I’ve mentioned I like to fill them earlier anyway.
Can I freeze already-filled horn shells?
Cream horns filled with meringue or buttercream may be refrigerated for up to a month in an airtight container. These pastries, however, cannot be frozen when filled with pastry cream or whipped cream.
Is it possible to prepare it without mold?
If you lack the necessary molds, you might make pastry tubes alike instead. Wrap the pastry strips around thick wooden dowels coated in foil. Make sure the foil is greased. If you have some ice cream cones around you, you may try to wrap them with foil to achieve a similar effect.
What’s the difference between Cannolis and Cream Horns
- Cream horns are often formed with puff pastry and filled with sweetened whipped cream or custard.
- Cannolis are fried pastries fashioned from a dough that incorporates white wine. The shells are smaller and crisper than those of cream horns. Cannolis are traditionally filled with a gently sweetened ricotta mixture and candied orange peel.
