Italian puff pastry horns (Cannoncini)

Origin

This specific kind of cannoncino is from Italy.

The cannoncino, or cannolo piemontese, is a classic Italian pastry, which is always present on special occasions and in many Sunday family dinners.

In Northern Italy, pastry shops sell it in the mignon version, or small size, and people often order it with other popular mignon pastries to create a fancy and colorful tray that people bring as a gift when visiting someone.

You can find a bigger version of it in some cafes and bread shops and is often eaten as an alternative to a breakfast croissant.

The cannoncino originated at the end of the 800’s in the piemonte region of Torino, and, at the end of the World War II, soon began to spread all over Italy.

Originally, in the Torino area, it was filled with zabaione cream; however, it is now most loved when filled with pastry cream.

The idea to fill it with pastry cream came from other European influences, as there are a lot of similar rolled puff pastries throughout Europe.

One example is the “trdlo or trdlnik, which is very popular in Athens, Budapest and Praga.

You can often find it filled with Ice-cream at street markets.

In Russia, there is the torpil o trubochki.

In Germany and Austria, there is the shaumrollen, often filled with whipped cream or meringue most used at Christmas time.

In England puff pastry horns are also very popular desserts.

All of these puff pastries come from the European idea of rolling sweet dough filled with whipped cream, jam, fresh fruit, pastry cream, ice cream, chocolate cream, or specifically in Italy, with pistachio and hazelnut cream.

There is often sprinkled hazelnut, pistachio or sponge cake crumbs on the sides.

Recipe

Italian puff pastry horns (cannoncini) recipe

One of italy's classic pastries, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

20 cannoncini

• 2 sheets of puff pastry
• 1 egg for egg wash
• 1/4 cup sugar
• powdered sugar to decorate

pastry cream

• 250 ml whole milk
• 4 yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3.5 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 lemon peel

Instructions

 

• Open a puff pastry sheet (sold frozen, so it's a good idea to take them out of the freezer at least 45 minutes prior to use.

   
  
• With a round knife, cut long strips measuring 1 inch wide and 12 inch long.
  
• Wrap the pastry dough strips on the cannoncini/cannoli shaper, starting from the top towards the bottom.
  
• Press the dough on both sides so that it stays inplace.
  
• With the help of a brush, cover the pastry dough with some egg.

   
  
• Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top of the cannoncino.

   
  
• Spray some oil on a cooling rack placed in a pan and spread out all the cannoncini on it.

  Bake them for about 20 minutes in a 365* F preheated oven.
  
• When the cannoncini are done baking, let them cool completely.

   
  
• Remove the shaper from the cannoncino.

   
  

Prepare the pastry cream

• Put the milk in a pot and add the vanilla bean or vanilla extract.
  
• Put a lemon peel in the milk. While mixing it with a spoon, heat the milk until it boils.

   
  
• In an other pot, put the yolks, sugar and corn starch.
  
• Mix it until it becomes smooth.

   
  
• When the milk is boiling, you can transfer it in the yolks in 3 different times using a stariner.
  
• Keep mixing the cream until it thickens.

   
  
• Cover the cream in plastic wrap and let it cool in the fridge until it becomes cold. 
  
• When the cream is cooled, transfer it to a pastry bag and fill the cannoncini with the cream.
  
• Using a strainer, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the cannoncino.
  

Notes

They will lose their crunchiness after 2 days in the fridge because the cream gets absorbed in the pastry.

 

 

Keyword cannoncini di sfoglia con crema pasticcera, italian cannoncini, italian desserts, italian puff pastry horns