Cream horns are a classic Christmas breakfast! But there’s no reason to head to your local bakery to enjoy this delicious sweet treat! With the help of premade dough and your air fryer, you can prepare your own homemade cream horns in under 30 minutes!
Cream horns
Air fryers are extremely powerful and versatile kitchen appliances, and they work with a wide range of different ingredients. I thought I’d share with you a foolproof and delicious cream horn recipe in case you’ve never tried making them in an air fryer. Cream filled pastry in the air fryer is the best way to enjoy fresh pastry horns anytime, anywhere.
These sweet and salty treats are a definite crowd-pleaser. Like many of these desserts, these cream horns can be eaten as a dessert or a snack. The combination of flaky dough and sweet gingerbread filling make this quick and easy recipe the perfect way to start your Christmas morning.
Other Christmas desserts you will love:
- Buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake
- Sweet noodle kugel
- Honey cake
- Crème de menthe cheesecake
- Blood orange bundt cake
- Grinch fudge
These Air Fryer gingerbread cream horns are really delicious, and would make a great, and quick dessert around the holidays. They’re really easy, and something that would be a wonderful baking experience with children or grand-children. They would be a great addition to a holiday dessert table, on a buffet, or even as a surprise after school snack. Make sure to keep this one in your favorites!
What tools Do I Need to Make Homemade Cream Horns?
The signature shape of this pastry allows you to fill it with delicious cream filling. But in order to get that classic shape, you’ll need to have a few specialty tools on hand. To make this cream horn recipe at home, you’ll need a:
- Pasty wheel. The first step to preparing your cream horns is to cut the dough into long strips. While a sharp knife will do the job, a pastry wheel is a better option. This tool is designed to cut pastry dough, ensuring you get even strips each time you cut your puff pastry dough.
- Cream horn mold. The next tool you’ll need to have on hand to make this classic holiday recipe is a cream horn mold. This metal mold allows you to form the puff pastry into a cone. And once you place the molded dough in the oven, it will bake into a cone shape, allowing you to easy add your gingerbread filling inside the pastry.
Cream Horn Recipe Tips & Tricks
This simple recipe is a quick and easy way to make a delicious holiday treat. But working with premade puff pastry dough can be tricky. With the help of these tips and tricks, you’ll be making beautiful cream horns on your first try.
How to thaw the dough
- Allow the dough to completely thaw before use. While your puff pastry dough probably came frozen, you won’t be able cut and mold it until it’s thawed. That means you’ll need to give yourself plenty of time to allow the dough to thaw before you start baking. Start by moving your pastry dough from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake. If the dough is still too stiff after removing it from the refrigerator, allow it to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes until it’s soft enough to work with.
How to handle with the dough
- Carefully unroll the dough. Take special care as you unroll the dough to avoid cracks and rips. If your dough is still hard when you try to unroll the dough, you might start noticing cracks in the seams. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for a few minutes before trying to unroll the dough again. Small cracks can be repaired with a rolling pin.
- Work on a floured surface. To keep your dough from sticking to your work surface, make sure to lightly dust the area with flour. It’s also a good idea to lightly coat your rolling pin in flour to keep it from sticking to the top of the dough as you roll it out.
How to ensure even horns
- Use a ruler for even cuts. Make sure your cream horns are even by using a ruler to help provide you with even, straight cuts. Wash and dry the ruler, then place it on top of the dough. Mark off your lines at the top of the dough, then place the ruler lengthwise and use it as a guide for your pastry cutter.
Do Cream Horns Need to Be Refrigerated?
Once your puff pastry dough is baked and filled, it doesn’t need to be returned to the refrigerator. You can store your prepared cream horns at room temperature. The pastries can be stored in a plastic storage bag. But I suggest placing them in an air tight container to prevent then from getting smashed.
Store the pastries in a cool, dry place (like a cabinet or pantry) to prevent the filling from melting. When stored at room temperature, your pastries will stay fresh for up to three days.
Can Cream Horns Be Frozen?
If you would like to keep your leftover cream horns for a longer period of time, you can easily freeze your pastry and enjoy them later. Start by placing your prepared cream horns on a baking sheet or cutting board. Put the pan in the freezer for at least one hour, until the cream horns are frozen solid. After that, you can transfer the cream horns to an airtight container or freezer bag until you’re ready to serve them. Cream horns can be stored in the freezer for up to one month.
When you want to eat a frozen cream horn, you’ll need to make sure to give it plenty of time to thaw. Place the frozen cream horns on a plate at room temperature and allow it to thaw for at least two hours before eating. It’s not suggested that you try to thaw your cream horns in the oven or microwave because it may cause the filling to melt.
Gingerbread Cream Horns Ingredients
Thanks to the use of premade puff pastry, you can whip up these simple air fryer cream horns in just a few minutes! And you can easily add some holiday flavor to your cream filled pastry with a gingerbread filling. To make this quick and easy recipe, you’ll need:
- Puff pastry dough
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable shortening
- Powdered sugar
- Marshmallow fluff
- Heavy cream
- Gingerbread flavoring
- Gingerbread sprinkles
How to make cream horns with puff pastry?
To make the horns
- Lightly flour a solid surface where you can easily roll out the pastry dough. Gently unroll or unfold a sheet of the dough, and gently roll it out with a rolling pin, lightly floured.
- Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into even strips.
- Pick up one of the cream horn molds, and lightly grease the mold with Crisco shortening. Wind the dough around the mold, slightly overlapping the dough as you wrap it around. Dip your finger in the water, and lightly wet the end of the dough, sticking it to the last strip around the mold.
- Spray the basket of your Air-fryer with cooking spray, and lay the dough wrapped molds into the basket. Air fry the horns for 4 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling
Make the filling while the horns are cooling.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing between additions. Then add the Marshmallow cream, and mix well, scraping down the bowl, and mixing again. Add the vanilla, and blend on low. Next add the heavy cream and gingerbread flavoring, mixing until blended into the ingredients.
- Turn the mixer on high speed and mix for 2 minutes. Mixture will be thick and fluffy.
- Place the filling in a pastry bag with a large star tip. Remove the horns from the molds and fill them with cream from both ends, filling them to the middle from both ends. Place the cream horns on parchment paper after filling.
To decorate
Sprinkle both ends of the pastry horns with gingerbread sprinkles on the cream filling.
Serve and Enjoy!
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Gingerbread cream horns
Ingredients
For the horns
- 1 pkg Puff Pastry Dough thawed
- 1 tbsp water
For the filling
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 3 cups Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 - 2 drops Gingerbread Flavoring
To decorate
Instructions
To make the horns
- Lightly flour a solid surface where you can easily roll out the pastry dough. Gently unroll or unfold a sheet of the dough, and gently roll it out with a rolling pin, lightly floured. Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into even strips.
- Pick up one of the cream horn molds, and lightly grease the mold with Crisco. Wind the dough around the mold, slightly overlapping the dough as you wrap it around. Dip your finger in the water, and lightly wet the end of the dough, sticking it to the last strip around the mold.
- Spray the basket of your Air-fryer with cooking spray, and lay the dough wrapped molds into the basket. Air fry the cream horns for 4 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the cream
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and Crisco until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing between additions. Add the marshmallow cream, and mix well, scraping down the bowl, and mixing again. Add the Vanilla, and blend on low. Add the Heavy Cream, and Gingerbread Flavoring, and mix until blended into the ingredients.
- Turn the mixer on high speed and mix for 2 minutes. Mixture will be thick and fluffy.
- Place the Filling in a Pastry bag with a large star tip. Remove the horns from the molds, and fill the cream horns from both ends, filling them to the middle from both ends. Place the cream horns on parchment paper after filling.
To decorate
- Sprinkle both ends of the cream horns with gingerbread sprinkles on the cream filling.
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