Ah yes 😍 Italian Cream Stuffed Cannoncini — flaky, creamy, and absolutely irresistible. These are basically Italian cream horns, perfect for dessert tables or a fancy treat.
🇮🇹 Italian Cream Stuffed Cannoncini
Ingredients
For the cannoncini (pastry):
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Sugar for sprinkling
- Metal cream horn molds (or make from foil if unavailable)
For the Italian pastry cream (Crema Pasticcera):
- 2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean)
- Optional: lemon peel strip for extra flavor
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the pastry cream
- Heat milk with vanilla (and lemon peel if using) until hot but not boiling. Remove peel.
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale.
- Add cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return to saucepan, cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill until ready to use.
2️⃣ Prepare the cannoncini
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out puff pastry slightly and sprinkle with sugar.
- Cut into 1½–2 cm (¾ inch) strips.
- Wrap strips around cream horn molds, overlapping slightly.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle more sugar.
- Bake 15–20 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool slightly, then remove molds.
3️⃣ Assemble
- Pipe chilled pastry cream into each cannoncino.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Optional: garnish with chocolate drizzle or toasted nuts.
🔥 Tips & Variations
- Chocolate cream: Mix 100 g melted chocolate into warm pastry cream
- Chantilly twist: Fold whipped cream into the pastry cream for extra fluffiness
- Nutty: Mix pistachio or hazelnut paste into the cream
- Make ahead: Fill just before serving to keep pastry crisp
If you want, I can also give a shortcut, no-mold version that’s easier for home bakers but just as tasty 😏.
Do you want that shortcut method?
