Vanilla cream rolls

Ingredients

For the custard cream (crema pastiera):

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons 30 gr of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 100 gr of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 8 oz 235 ml of milk

For the cannoncini:

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry defrosted (about 8 oz, 225 gr)
  • 1/4 cup 50 gr of sugar
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • powdered sugar to decorate

Instructions

Start by preparing the custard cream (crema pastiera):

  • Warm up the milk until hot (not boiling).
  • In a medium-sized pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla extract, and flour, until light and fluffy.
  • Add the milk some at a time while whisking, making sure there are no lumps.
  • Set the pan over mediocre heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Lower the flame and cook for a couple of more minutes, until you reach the desired thickness.
  • Pour the cream into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it cool down. Chill for at least one hour.

For the pastry horns:

  • Preheat the furnace to 400°F (200°C).
  • Spray some sugar on the counter and on top of the puff pastry and roll it out to a rectangle about 9 by 12 inches.
  • Cut into 12 strips (about 1 inch thick). Easy way to do it: cut the pastry into three parts, and then each part into four strips.
  • Roll each strip onto a horn mold (conical in shape). The pastry has to overlap (about half of the length).
  • Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with seem (end of the strip) side down.
  • Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water. Brush lightly each pastry cone with the egg wash.
  • Make sure you keep the egg wash away from the mold. It will make it harder to remove the pastry horn from the mold once baked.
  • Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 15-20 minutes until golden on top.
  • Let them cool down for a couple of minutes and gently remove from the mold.