Italian Cream Stuffed Cannoncini (Puff Pastry Horns)

Italian Cream Stuffed Cannoncini (Puff Pastry Horns) , By www.uniquegiftstips.com .

"I want to start the new year with something special. Something Italian. Something that I simply looove. Something that is ... what's the right word?!?... DESSERT of course!! And I don't mean any random dessert but a crispy and buttery puff pastry shell exploding with rich and sinfully creamy custard. Here is all I love (and need) in a pastry: lick-your-finger delicious (seriously!), easy to make (I used frozen puff pastry to make things easier), and oh-so pretty. Take a look!"

Total Time: 24 Minutes, Servings: 12 Servings

Ingredients :

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 pasticcera):
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.
Place the pan over medium 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 desire thickness.
Pour the cream in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it cool down. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
For the pastry horns:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Sprinkle 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 stripes (about 1 inch thick). Easy way to do it: cut the pastry in 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).