Cannolis with Vanilla Custard Cream

Directions

Prepare the puff pastry shells. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut the puff pastry into 1 cm (½ inch) wide strips. Roll each strip around a small aluminum foil curl or cannoli mold, leaving the ends exposed.
Brush and bake. Lightly brush each rolled pastry with beaten egg yolk for a glossy finish. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing the molds. Dust lightly with icing sugar.
Make the custard cream. Pour milk and the vanilla pod (seeds + pod) into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Prepare egg mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Gradually add cornstarch and mix until smooth.
Combine milk and eggs. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk. Slowly pour hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
Cook the custard. Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 10 minutes. The custard should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Fill the cannolis. Transfer the cooled custard to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Carefully pipe the custard into each pastry shell until filled generously.
Serve. Dust the filled cannolis with a little extra icing sugar for a finishing touch. Enjoy immediately for the best crisp texture.

Recipe Details

Variations & Substitutions

Chocolate custard: Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the custard mixture for a chocolatey twist.
Fruit-filled: Fold in ¼ cup finely chopped fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries, into the custard before filling.
Ricotta cream: Replace the custard with a sweetened ricotta mixture for a traditional Sicilian flavor.
Decorative toppings: Dip the ends of the cannoli in melted chocolate or chopped nuts for added texture.

Serving Suggestions

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