Mini Custard Cream Horns

Did you ever miss or want to eat something that maybe you did not really like before? That what happened to me last week. I suddenly got an urge to eat custard cream horn. I know it was not my favorite snack. I still remember when I was a little girl, my mother used to buy some of Indonesian traditional snack from a local market. She usually bought more than one kind of snacks so I and my sister could choose which one that we want to eat. I never pick custard cream horn. I mostly pick a savory snack instead this sweet custard cream snack. No special reason. Actually a custard cream horn is a delicious snack. It is a horn shaped puff pastry  filled in with vanilla custard cream. For those who has sweet tooth (like my husband), this can be a good snack. It is sweet and crispy outside but soft and creamy inside.

Well, because of my sudden urge to eat this sweet horns, I decided to make it by myself. I already have ready to use puff pastry on my freezer and the horn mold that I ordered from Indonesia last year. But there's a big BUT. I'm going to make my custard cream horn in small size.  My custard horn will have only about half of the size of normal custard cream horn. Personally, I prefer this mini size horns because it is easier to eat (especially for my baby son), more crispy, and..... hmm... I don't know. I just like it. ^^

First, I need to make the horns.

Tip : You can make the horns one day before making the filling. Just let it cool completely, and keep it in a airtight container to keep it crispy and crunchy.

Ingredients : ( for making about 65 mini horns)

• 5 layer ready to use puff pastry (I'm using 20x20 cm ready to use puff pastry)
• 1 egg, beaten
• about 100 gram white granulated sugar
• 20 grams butter

Preparation :

1. Preheat oven for 200 C (392 F)
2. Prepare a baking sheet and line it up with baking paper. Set aside.
3. Prepare horn molds and grease it with butter generously. Set aside.
4. Cut the puff pastry into small stripes. (About 1.5 cm wide for each stripe) 
5. Take one of greased horn mold and wrap the pastry around the mold. Make sure to overlap the pastry a little bit for each round and press it gently at the end of the strips. 
6. Repeat the process until all the mold are used.
7. Place the wrapped horn on the baking sheet.
8. Brush the surface of the pastry with beaten egg.
9. Sprinkle or roll carefully some granulated sugar on the top of the horns.
10. Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake it for about 13-15 minutes or until the pastry become golden brown.
11. Take it out from oven and let it cool completely before starting the filling process. 

Tip : If you can not make the horn in one batch and have to reuse the mold after the previous batch, do not forget to grease the mold with butter again before wrap it with another pastry strip.

Now, let's make the filling. 

Ingredients :

• 250 ml milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 20 grams granulated sugar
• 25 grams corn starch
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation :

1. In a pot, mix together about 150 ml milk with granulated sugar.
2. Turn on the heat, stir, and simmer on low heat until the sugar are dissolved.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the rest of the milk with egg yolk, corn starch, and vanilla extract.
4. Whisk until there's no more cornstarch lump.
5. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot.
6. Stir and cook the mixture with medium heat until the custard is thickened. (Tip : Be careful not to burn the custard).
7. Turn off the heat and transfer the custard into a shallow bowl.
8. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool completely.
9. Once the custard is not hot anymore, open the plastic wrap, and stir once more.
10. Pour the custard into a pipping bag and cut the tip.
11. Fill the horn by pipping the custard into the horn.