RECIPE: Zabaione Cream Horns

After my exit from The Chefs' Line - I wanted to cook more! So I have challenged myself to prove that I can veganise each dish cooked up on Italian Week. Here is my vegan Zabaione with a unique twist - inside puff pastry.

Recipe by Nadia Fragnito

INGREDIENTS

Pastry Horns

1-2 sheets thawed vegan puff pastry, I used Coles puff pastry

10-20 metal cone moulds

vegan butter or coconut oil for greasing

Pastry Cream

½ cup non dairy butter or refined coconut oil, I used Nuttelex

¼ cup raw sugar

1/3 cup cornflour

1 ¾ cup non dairy milk, I used Vitasoy’s Regular Soy Milky

2-3 capfuls Strega liqueur, optional or use another vegan liqueur

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon zest

dash black salt (kala namak) optional

dash turmeric powder

METHOD

Pastry horns

Once pastry has thawed, cut strips from the pastry, approximately ½ inch to 1 inch thick.

Grease cone moulds with vegan butter of coconut oil.

Taking 1 strip of pastry at a time, begin at the bottom tip of the mould. First, enclose the end of the pastry dough around the tip. Then wind the pastry around the mould, overlapping the pastry layers slightly as you go. Depending on how big your mould is or how long your pastry strip is, you may need to wind a 2nd strip of pastry around the mould. Stop before you get to the very top of the mould.

Repeat with the remaining pastry until you have used up all the moulds or pastry. Whichever comes first.

Place the pastry moulds on a baking tray.

Bake in a preheated 200C fan forced oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

Allow pastry horns to cool for 5-10 minutes before gently un-moulding the pastry from the moulds. They should slip out easily.

Allow pastry horns to cool before filling with the pastry cream.

Pastry cream

In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk to combine. Heat over a medium to high heat.

Stir occasionally and once it thickens simmer for 1-2 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t stick.

If you want half chocolate cream horns, transfer half the pastry cream to a bowl and sift in the cocoa. Whisk thoroughly until combined.

Take off heat and allow to cool or put saucepan directly in a bowl of cold water and continue to whisk until it cools a little.

For a traditional zabaione, pour into a serving cup or bowl. Top with fruit and your favourite toppings such as crushed nuts.

To assemble the cream horns

Transfer the cooled pastry cream to a piping bag or bottle. Squeeze the cream into the cooled pastry horn until generously filled.

Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

NOTE: For some extra wow factor, before filling, dip top of pastry horns in melted dark chocolate and then dip in crushed nuts, such as peanuts or pistachios.