Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Cream Horns
Nothing like an old-fashioned cream horn to brighten your day! I taught myself how to make puff pastry about two years ago, and it felt like the biggest accomplishment as a baker. I wanted to be able to sell all of my favorite old-fashioned baked goods at our little farm store, so I spent hours teaching myself how to make different pastries like croissants, dutch letters, danishes, and more from scratch. It was something that I never thought I would be able to figure out, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I originally anticipated.
While I cannot share my recipe for puff pastry with you yet (hint, hint - it’s in my cookbook coming out next year!), I do want to share some of my favorite filling recipes until the time comes that it can be shared! Puff pastry is wonderful in that it can be both sweet and savory.
The first time that I had a cream horn was as a little girl. There was this very 1960s truck stop restaurant in the town I grew up in that served all sorts of fun bakery treats, including a dessert called a “Strawberry Pillow” that was two squares of puff pastry enclosing soft whipped cream and fresh strawberry slices. Of course, coated in coarse sugar. It was a dream!
history of cream horns
Like most delightfully sweet confectionaries, cream horns are believed to originate in Austria or Germany. Originally, they were made using cannoli molds, which created a long wrapped tube of pastry with cream coming out of both ends. A true old-fashioned cream horn is filled with pastry cream, the kind that you would find inside of a cream puff, and not a buttercream frosting.
My recipe, as your can see, is filled with a cream cheese frosting.
cream horn supplies:
To make proper cream horns, one will need some cream horn molds. These are typically made from metal and shaped like a long, skinny cone. You can also use cannoli molds, though the shape will turn out a little different.
CLICK HERE TO SHOP CREAM HORN MOLDS.
Some other supplies that you might need to make this recipe:
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Cream Horns
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, or homemade puff pastry about 12 x 20-inches
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup coarse sugar, such as turbinado
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 oz white chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Roll out your puff pastry, if using homemade, to a 12x20-inch rectangle. Otherwise, cut the puff pastry into long strips, about 1.5x20-inches. Lightly grease 12 cream horn cone molds with cooking spray or a bit of butter. Beginning at the small end, wrap the strips of pastry around the cream horn mold, overlapping the edges by about 1/4-inch. Wrap until they reach the top of the mold and press the dough together gently. Repeat with the remaining cream horns.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with about 1 tbsp of water. If you want, you may add a pinch of salt. This helps the egg to spread more easily in a thin layer over the pastry. Brush the egg all over the wrapped pastry, making sure to get the edges. Spread the coarse sugar on a plate and roll the cream corns in the sugar, fully coating the outside of the pastry.
- At this point, your pastry may be getting warm. Line the cream horns on the baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or the freezer for about 10 minutes to chill the pastry again.
- Once chilled, bake the cream horns for about 20-22 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through the center. Let the cream horns cool on their molds for about 10 minutes before removing the molds. Let the pastries cool completely before filling. If you are impatient, they can be popped in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the pumpkin until it is fully incorporated. Slowly begin adding the powdered sugar until it becomes too thick. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and heavy cream. Adjust the frosting as needed to thicken to your desired consistency. I like mine to form a crusting frosting.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Fill the cream horns with the frosting using the piping bag. Drizzle the tops with the melted white chocolate; I like to use a spoon or fork tines. Let the chocolate harden before serving.
This recipe is fun and perfectly sweet! The pumpkin flavored cream cheese frosting is subtle and festive, with a perfect mix of crusty sugar and chocolate covered flaky pastry. They are a real treat, and they’re the perfect addition to a gathering or party!
I hope you enjoy this treat.
xoxo Kayla
