Pie Crust Cream Horns

Pie Crust Cream Horns

When the heat of summer finally arrives in town (it hasn't yet but I am keeping optimistic that we will skip spring and go right to summer), I generally like to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible and enjoy the sunshine. But of course I can't give up the kitchen entirely! I just turn to simpler dishes and desserts - preferably ones that don't take much time to complete and ones that don't require hours of oven time that warm up the kitchen. This little dessert fits the bill perfectly - it's just pie crust wrapped around a "horn", baked, dipped in chocolate and sprinkles and then filled with simple whipped cream. You  could even skip the chocolate and sprinkles if you wanted to shorten kitchen time even further.  

Enjoy the sunshine while it's here but don't forget dessert!

This will make at least 28 horns depending on how thin you roll your dough. The pie crust can also be used to make a two-crust pie.

Special equipment required: cream horn moulds

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2 1/2 c flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 c unsalted butter, frozen 

12 tbsp ice cold water

1 egg 

1 tsp water

Optional
1 package chocolate chips
Sprinkles

What to do

• Grease metal cream horns with a bit of butter of cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt. 
• Grate the frozen butter into the flour. (this is a pain but essential)
• Gently toss the butter and flour until the flour coats the grated butter. 
• Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and mix with your fingers. In the bowl, knead the dough until it comes together into a ball. 
• Divide the dough into two pieces and place in plastic wrap or a ziploc.
• Chill for at least 30 minutes. 
• Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit for 10 minutes to make rolling easier.  
• Roll out one half of the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches x 14 inches. 
• Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut one inch by 8 inch strips.
• Starting at the point of the cone, wind a strip of dough around it, overlapping the layers slightly to cover the cone. Repeat for all your horns. If the dough is too short for larger horns just add an additional piece of dough and press ends together to seal.
• If desired, brush with egg wash.
• Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool.

• Melt chocolate and place sprinkles in a separate bowl.
• Dip one end of horn in chocolate and then sprinkles, if desired.
• Let the chocolate/sprinkles set for at least 15 minutes.

Whipped Cream

1 c whipping cream

2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

What to do

Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream into the pastry horn. I use either a pastry bag or a ziploc with a little triangle end snipped off. (Don't tell anyone but I've also used whipped cream and cool whip in a can when I'm in a rush or just don't feel like whipping it myself! The little nozzles are the perfect size to fit into the pastry horns.

Cut your dough into 12-14 one inch strips.

Starting at the small end of the cone, wind a strip of dough around it, overlapping the layers slightly to cover the cone.



I left an opening at each end but if desired you could pinch the small end closed.

If the dough is too short for larger horns just add an additional piece of dough and press ends together to seal.

Melt chocolate and place sprinkles in a separate bowl.

Dip one end of horn in chocolate and then sprinkles, if desired.

Let set for 15 minutes of so.

 Pipe the whipped cream into the pastry horn.

Tweet