Italian Cornetti Recipe
Cornetti are these Italian pastries that kinda look like croissants but aren’t quite the same thing. They’re softer and a bit sweeter, usually with a lighter, fluffier inside and a slightly sticky, shiny outside from a sugar glaze. Croissants are flakier and more buttery, with layers that almost melt apart, but cornetti have a more tender crumb and sometimes a little bit of lemon or vanilla in the dough. They’re often filled with jam or cream, or just plain, and perfect with an espresso in the morning. It’s funny how two pastries that look similar can be so different in texture and flavor.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast about one packet
- 1/4 cup warm water not too hot or it kills the yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 cup milk warmed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 egg for dough
- 1 egg yolk for brushing on top
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional but nice
- 1/4 cup apricot jam optional filling
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting after baking
Instructions
- Put the yeast in warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it looks foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast might be dead, which is a bummer.
- Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and softened butter in a big bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk, then pour in the yeast water. Stir it all until it starts to come together. It’s sticky at first, but that’s okay.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and a little bit elastic. I usually end up with flour on my hands and the counter, which is normal.
- Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Sometimes I forget about it and it gets even bigger, which is fine too.
- After it’s risen, punch the dough down gently and roll it out on a floured surface into a circle about 12 inches wide. Cut the circle into 8 triangles, kind of like slicing a pie.
- If you want to fill them, put a small spoonful of apricot jam near the wide end of each triangle. Then roll each triangle up from the wide end toward the point, curling the ends a little if you want that classic cornetto shape.
- Place the rolled cornetti on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. Brush with the egg yolk to get that shiny glaze after baking.
- Let them rest for another 30 minutes so they puff up a bit more. Then bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. The kitchen smells amazing at this point.
- Once cool enough to handle, dust with powdered sugar. They’re best eaten the same day but can be reheated gently if needed.
Notes
Cornetti are softer and sweeter than croissants, which have a flakier, buttery texture. The sugar glaze on cornetti gives that slight stickiness on the outside, which is nice. If you don’t have apricot jam, any fruit jam or even Nutella works well. They’re a nice treat with coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon.