Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and irresistibly elegant: the puff pastry horns with custard cream are a classic pastry, perfect to prepare at home with ready-made puff pastry. With just a few tricks, you can achieve golden, light, and well-developed shells, ready to fill with a velvety and fragrant cream.
Very easy to make and always appreciated by both adults and children, they can be filled in many ways, although the classic custard filling is always the best, in my opinion.
There are no secrets in this recipe because it starts with ready-made puff pastry. The only important trick is to slightly overlap the strips of pastry around the molds to have them like those from pastry shops.
Have fun preparing them too, you’ll make a great impression on your guests!
READ THE F.A.Q. AND TIPS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RECIPE
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (whole)
- vanilla
- lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice starch
- chopped pistachios (to taste)
Tools
- Cannoli Molds
- Baking Mats
Steps
Unroll the puff pastry and cut 8 strips about 2 cm wide. Wrap each strip around a mold, being careful not to stretch the dough and slightly overlapping. No need to grease the molds.
Space the molds apart and place the tray in the fridge. Meanwhile, prepare the water and sugar syrup; let it simmer gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 355°F fan-forced or 375/390°F static. (depends on your oven)
Brush each horn with the syrup.
Place some granulated sugar on a tray or flat plate and roll the previously brushed molds. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes (they should be golden).
In the meantime, prepare the custard cream following this recipe or your own. The cream can also be prepared the day before and, in any case, should be used cold.
Out of the oven, wait for the horns to cool slightly, and with a gentle twist, remove the molds. Fill the cold horns with the prepared cream.
As desired, the ends of the horns can be dipped in chopped pistachios.
READ THE F.A.Q. AND TIPS AT THE BOTTOM.
Tips and Notes:
Do not brush between the spirals of the pastry: they will stick together.
Bake until the horns are well golden: pale pastry remains soft.
As desired, they can be lightly dusted with powdered sugar before serving.
Instead of sugar syrup, you can use a beaten egg yolk with a tablespoon of cream for brushing the pastry.
Instead of sugar syrup, you can use a beaten egg yolk with a tablespoon of cream for brushing the pastry.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I prepare the horns in advance?
Yes, you can bake the shells even the day before. Store them well closed in a tin box or a paper bag. Fill them just before serving.
The custard cream can also be prepared the day before.How to prevent the cream from soaking the pastry?
Fill the horns only at the time of serving or at most 1–2 hours before.
Why does the pastry slip off the mold during baking?
It was probably stretched too much or the spirals were not overlapped. Wrap without tension and slightly overlap each turn.
