Since so many of you have asked, I decided to go ahead and post this quick and easy recipe for cream horns. These are super easy even though they look really complicated! They’re definitely worth making when you’re trying to impress!
These cream horns were filled with whipped cream filling, but many recipes call for buttercream or custard. I chose whipped cream because was a lighter, more summertime choice.
Puff Pastry Cream Horns Recipe
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake/Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Yields: 8 cream horns
Ingredients:
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Box of 12 sugar cones + aluminum foil (or cream horn/cannoli molds)
Optional: Nutella, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, chopped nuts
Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees
2. Create the Cream Horn Molds
Chances are, you probably don’t have metal cream horn molds on hand. Do ordinary people actually have those in their kitchens? You could use cannoli molds, too, but you probably don’t have those either…so create your own. If you’re planning to make this recipe over and over, buy some, but in a crunch, make your own!
I bought a box of cheap sugar cones (not cake cones, not waffle cones) and wrapped them in aluminum foil.
3. Create an egg wash by mixing 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Set to the side.
4. Set the puff pastry sheet on a dusted flour surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheet, so the sheet is stretched as far as possible without ripping (the pastry doubles or triples in size). The thin pastry makes it so that the cream horns aren’t HUGE!
5. Cut the puff pastry into ½ inch wide strips. 2 strips = 1 cream horn.
6. Prep the Cream Horn Molds
Melt a little butter or make life easy and use Pam cooking spray to spray each cream horn mold. Even though you’re using aluminum foil, this reassures that the puff pastry won’t stick to the molds.
7. Wind the puff pastry around each cone. For me, it took 2 strips of puff pastry to wrap each mold. Start at the pointed end and overlap the layers to form the spiral. Once this is finished, many recipes recommend setting them in the freezer for 30 minutes to guarantee the puff pastry holds its shape, but I skipped this step and didn’t have any problem since my pastry was still cold.
8. Place puff pastries seam side down on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
9. Brush each puff pastry with egg wash.
10. Sprinkle granulated sugar across the top and bottom of each puff pastry to give it a shine.
11. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the molds.
12. Prepare the filling while the puff pastry is cooling. Whip heavy cream until it reaches soft peaks and add gradually mix in powdered sugar to taste. Add vanilla and whip until stiff. If you want it sweeter, just add more powdered sugar.
13. Remove puff pastries from molds.
14. Fill piping bag (or Ziploc bag) with cream and pipe into the cooled pastry. Use a sifter to dust with powdered sugar. Keep refrigerated.
Extra Recommendations
These can be served a variety of ways. I served these with sliced strawberries, so we had more of a strawberry shortcake, cream horn dessert.
You can serve with any fruit, preserves or sauce, like chocolate ganache. The ends of the cream horns can be dipped in chopped nuts or sprinkles. You could even add mini chocolate chips to the whipped cream or layer Nutella and whipped cream inside the cream horn. Make them your own!
These are delicious and they really are so easy to make! Enjoy!