Creamy Choco Cornet Bread
Time:
3h45m
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Loot:
10 cornets
You likely came here from 1 of 3 places…
You grew up eating this treat in Korean, Japanese, Filipino, etc. bakeries and wanted to give it a go (hey, me too!).
You saw that episode of Reply 1988 (respect) where Kim Jung Bong painfully twists his hands to make the shape of his girl’s favorite pastry.
You watch a lot of anime.
Hey, no matter where you’re coming from, welcome. I respect the hell out of you for taking on the challenge…and yeah, shelling out a few bucks for some cream horn molds from Amazon. Don’t worry, you can get them for cheap, as long as they don’t melt in the oven. Here is a link to a good one.
Anyways, this one is a bit trickier. I’m not gonna lie to you. The reason that most people leave this job to pro bakeries is the amount of effort it takes to assemble and prepare each part of this pastry that makes it so dang Instagrammable. But let me tell you…you can 100% do this and the taste/look is just so, so worth it. The base bun is derived from my pillowy Korean Style Milk Bread recipe with a few slight tweaks, which I definitely recommend you try beforehand to get a better feel for the technique of Asian baking (but not mandatory at all). And the creamy chocolate custard in the middle? You’ll have to stop yourself from eating it straight out of the bag before you squeeze any out.
Alright, the sooner we get started, the sooner you can flex on your friends.
Word to the Wise
Just buy the molds. I know, I know. I like to DIY as much as possible, but it’s just easier, neater, and depending on how much foil you’d use…cheaper. Here is a link to a nice, reusable, inexpensive one.
Make sure to roll your dough logs really, really thin. It’ll help your cornets get a cleaner rise, not slip off the mold, and leave a more hollow interior to get more chocolate filling.
Manually (ugh)…stir the chocolate custard. It’s annoying, but when it comes to the chocolate custard later on, you’re going to be dealing with egg yolks over heat with simmering milk and chocolate. Grab a whisk and keep stirring the crap out of it to avoid chocolatey scrambled eggs. Trust the French.
Oil your cream horn molds well. You know how you grease a cake pan so that it comes out? You’ve seen Nailed It. Well, this one helps your dough stay wrapped on the mold.
Let your cornets cool all the way before filling. They just smell so good. But make sure it’s no longer emitting heat when you pipe lest you want a drippy mess of melted chocolate.
Ingredients
Tangzhong
¼ cup bread flour
¾ cup water
1 ½ tsp honey
Dough
2 ¾ cups bread flour
4 ½ tsp nonfat dry milk powder
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup granulated white sugar
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 large egg white
1 large egg
⅔ cup + 1 tbsp whole milk, lukewarm
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (½ stick)
Chocolate Custard Filling
1 cup whole milk
4 tbsp granulated white sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cocoa powder
⅛ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼-½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to taste
Instructions:
Tangzhong:
In a small saucepan, whisk together ¼ cup bread flour and ¾ cup water. Add 1 tsp of honey.
Cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste.
Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature. If you want to make this the next day or store it for later, put some plastic wrap over your bowl/pot and stick it in the fridge.
Dough:
Fill a small heat-proof pan or bowl with water. Place this on the lower rack in your oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (usually around 170 degrees Fahrenheit in the US). If it can go as low as 80-85 degrees with a proof setting, do this.
Warm ⅔ cup milk slightly in a small pot or microwave (not hot, just lukewarm). Whisk in the egg white.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 ¾ cups bread flour, 1 ½ tsp yeast, ½ tsp salt, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, and 4 ½ tsp nonfat dry milk powder.
Add the milk mixture and tangzhong. Mix until well-combined on low speed (2) using the paddle hook attachment on your stand mixer for 2 minutes. After this, the dough will look a little shaggy and dry. That’s alright. Add 1 tsp of whole milk here.
Knead for around 4-5 minutes on medium speed (4) with the dough hook attachment. The dough should stretch to form a thin "windowpane" without tearing.
When the preheat timer beeps, kill the heat, and crack open the oven just a little bit. Using an oven or meat thermometer, measure the center of the oven. Leave it open until it reaches about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Shut off the heat, but leave the oven door closed.
Gradually knead in your softened butter until fully incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and passes the windowpane test. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in your oven with the heat off. Let it rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Using a scale and bench scraper, divide your dough equally into 10 parts. Roll each of your pieces of dough into a neat ball, then flatten into a round disc of approximately equal size.
Roll each of your discs from bottom to top into a neat log with the seam-side facing down. Be sure to pinch the seams shut. Repeat for all 10 pieces of dough.
On a lightly-floured surface, place one hand on each side of your dough log and roll back and forth intensely, stretching the dough in both directions to shape it into a long line. Make sure it is not too thin and can maintain its structure, and that each line is of equal length.
Using a flavorless oil (preferably vegetable oil), brush each of your cream horn molds until they are glossy and thickly coated. Place the cones right-side up on a piece of parchment paper or paper towels to avoid getting grease everywhere.
From the tip of the cone, carefully wrap each of your lines around the mold, leaving a very small (about a quarter-of-an-inch) gap between each wrap to leave room for the rise. Place each of these face down on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Make sure that the dough sticks and stays tightly wrapped.
Cover your pastries with a damp towel, and place the baking sheet back into your warm, humid oven to proof for 1 hour.
Chocolate Custard
Get out a medium bowl, and whisk together your egg yolks, corn starch, salt, cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp of sugar until combined into one mix.
In a small saucepan, combine your milk and 2 tbsp of sugar, and bring to a simmer over low to medium heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning the sugar.
Once its at a simmer, immediate bring the heat down to low (lowest possible), add in your vanilla, and pour in your egg yolk mixture. Whisk vigorously (temper it, as the aficionados say) for around 5 minutes until the mixture gets thicker and denser. You’ll know when you’re close when it gets really tough to whisk.
Once the mixture is nice and thick, immediately take your mixture off the heat and whisk in the chocolate chips and butter until melted and fully combined into one thick, glossy chocolate custard.
Cover your bowl or saucepan with saran wrap, and make sure it touches the custard (if you leave too much air, it’ll make a nasty pudding skin). Place it in the fridge to chill while your dough finishes proofing. This takes around 1-2 hours anyway.
Final Prep
Remove your molds and the water tray from the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk together one egg and a splash of whole milk. Using a pastry brush, lightly apply an even layer of this egg wash to each of your cornets.
Bake for around 22-25 minutes until your cornets turn a golden brown. They should be slightly crispy on the outside, but rebound quickly when you give it a light poke.
Remove your cornets from the oven and let them cool completely for 5-10 minutes. They should NOT be hot when you fill them.
Take your chocolate out of the fridge, and a fill a piping bag with a ½ inch tip or a ziploc bag halfway with your custard. Be sure to wrap the end of your bag tightly, and if using a ziploc bag, snip off the end.
Carefully remove each pastry from the cream horn mold, and pipe your chocolate until each pastry is filled to the top. Be generous! This recipe makes A LOT of filling.
Enjoy! If you want to store these, be sure to place a little piece of parchment or wax paper on the custard to avoid forming a skin, and seal each piece individually with Saran wrap.