Crispy, flaky pastry tubes filled with a smooth, sweet Italian cream. These Cannoncini are a delightful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients:
- For the Pastry (Puff Pastry):
- 1 sheet (about 14 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Granulated sugar (for coating)
- For the Italian Cream Filling:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional: lemon zest.
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
Instructions:
- Prepare the Pastry:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the pastry into thin strips, about 1 inch wide.
- Lightly grease cannoncini molds (metal pastry tubes).
- Wrap each strip of pastry around a cannoncini mold, overlapping slightly. Start at one end and spiral to the other.
- Brush the pastry with the beaten egg wash.
- Roll the pastries in granulated sugar, ensuring they are well coated.
- Place the prepared cannoncini on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Let the cannoncini cool completely on the molds before carefully sliding them off.
- Prepare the Italian Cream Filling (Crema Pasticcera):
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, and flour until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
- Slowly pour a little of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them (this prevents the yolks from scrambling).
- Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens and comes to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for another 1-2 minutes, still whisking, to ensure the flour is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and optional lemon zest.
- Pour the cream into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
- Let the cream cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Once the crema pasticcera is chilled, in a seperate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the chilled crema pasticcera.
- Assemble the Cannoncini:
- Once the cannoncini and cream filling are completely cooled, use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or a star tip to fill each cannoncini with the Italian cream.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips and Variations:
- For a richer flavor, you can add a tablespoon of butter to the cream filling after it’s cooked.
- You can flavor the cream filling with other extracts, such as almond or lemon.
- For a chocolate version, melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it over the filled cannoncini.
- If you do not have cannoncini molds, you can create cone shapes out of aluminum foil.
- Ensure your puff pastry is very cold before working with it.
Enjoy your delicious Italian Cream Stuffed Cannoncini!