Cornulețe are Traditional Romanian pastries served during Christmas and at holidays year round. These delicate sweet rolls are the meaning of Christmas to me! Filled with either the traditional plum butter or with a modern twist of strawberry walnut filling, Cornulețe are a perfect Christmas dessert! [199 Calories, 25.1 g Carbs, 10.8 g Protein, 2.7 g Protein per 2 Cornulețe]
My mother, like many mothers, cooked from scratch every day. She would make homemade fried chicken and lay it on empty cardboard egg cartons to catch the grease while I nibbled at the little fried chunks of seasoned egg and flour that would nestle into the egg holders. I never really ate the actual chicken because I hated chicken on the bone, it was an “adult food” in my childish mind. Still, I cherished sitting on the floor and just watching her.
There was nothing like Christmas though. We’d slaughter a whole hog, make a hundred plus sarmale (Romanian stuffed cabbage rolls), and make a whole host of desserts. Rum soaked cakes toppedwith buttery chocolate frosting, 12 layer cakes topped with homemade caramel brittle, vanilla pudding sandwiched between crackly pastry sheets, sweet yeast breads filled with poppy seeds, homemade apply strudel enveloped in flaky pastry, and so many more!
I have so many favorites but sadly I don’t have family recipes at my disposal, so as an adult I’ve stuck with making the ones I can remember. I am so glad I remembered Cornulețe, because biting into these delicious rolls brings back so many memories. These are something that are so simple and yet so delicious. Sometimes it is the simple stuff that really shines. Also because they are small, you can eat so many of them. Trust me, by this point I’ve eaten thousands.
For those who don’t speak Romanian, Cornulețe means crowns! The idea being that when rolled the dessert looks like a crown.
To make these, you only need a few items:
- store bought puff pastry. Yes, even my cook-from-scratch-mother used store brought products.
- powdered sugar, for dusting the little desserts until they look they’ve just come in from a blizzard
- PLUM BUTTER!!! I have included another filling option with strawberry and crushed walnuts that you can use, but plum butter keeps these real deal Romanian. We never used anything else growing up. The slightly sour plum butter combined with the buttery dough and sweet powdered sugar = heaven in a bite.
The best holiday desserts are the ones that take little time and are easy to make in mass quantities. Cornulețe fit that bill! Easy fillings that take a few minutes to put together. Store bought puff pastry means you just have to spend time letting it thaw, and rolling it is super easy with my “new” technique. I call it new because in all honestly I forgot how we used to roll them growing up. Normally I make these with my sisters, so together we can usually use our combined memories to remember but I made these alone so no such luck. I used a rolling technique I saw for a rugelach recipe. Here is a video showing how I roll them.
I really hope you give these traditional Romanian pastries a try! They are buttery, sweet and fruity. If you enjoy traditional European desserts, I recommend the plum butter filling, it keeps these from becoming too sweet. If you enjoy American desserts, the strawberry crushed walnut filling is perfect for you. It really satisfies that sweet tooth!
Cornulețe (Traditonal Romanian Pastries)
Delicate puff pastry rolled with a variety of fillings from the sweet and nutty jam and walnut mix or the traditional and wonderfully sweet and spiced plum butter. Then rolled in powdered sugar for an extra dose of sweetness. Your entire family will love these traditional Romanian pastries!
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry sheets 2 sheets total
- 1 tbs melted butter optional
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Strawberry Walnut Filling
- 1/2 cup crushed walnuts about 2 ounces whole walnuts
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam
Plum Butter Filling
- 1/2 cup plum butter, high quality
Instructions
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Remove puff pastry and let that according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove each sheet from package and cut both into large circles, I used a dinner plate as a guide. In a small bowl combine crushed walnuts and strawberry jam.
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Plum Butter Cornulețe On one puff pastry circle, spread plum butter evenly over the surface. Then cut into 10 slices (like you would a pizza). Starting from the edge, roll each slice towards the center. It should be shaped like a crescent roll.
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Strawberry Walnut Cornulețe On one puff pastry circle, spread strawberry walnut filling evenly over the surface. Then cut into 10 slices (like you would a pizza). Starting from the edge, roll each slice towards the center. It should be shaped like a crescent roll.
Be mindful not to spread too much filling, it'll just seep out and could burn while baking.
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Arrange Cornulețe onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to apply butter to each roll. Bake in oven using the package directions as a guide, I do 12-15 minutes.
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Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Once lightly cooled, mix Cornulețe with powdered sugar. Serve at room temp.
Recipe Notes
My family and I use Pepperidge Farm brand puff pastry, from the freezer aisle.
Butter is optional. My family did not traditionally use this, we like the puff pastry to stay very light instead of browning from the butter.
I define high quality plum butter as one where plums are the first ingredient. The best plum better I have ever had came from a local apple orchard that makes their own canned goods. I recommend shopping locally for a great plum butter!
NUTRITION: Nutrition facts are for 10 strawberry walnut cornulete, using 1/4 cup powdered sugar. I do not account for the powdered sugar left behind in the bowl, plate, etc. I have included butter in the nutrition facts, traditionally we do not use it. Plum butter cornulete will be lower in calories because they do not use any nuts in the filling.
STORAGE: Cornulețe are best served at room temp the same day they're baked. They can be stored in the fridge (with powdered sugar or without) for a day or two without losing quality, they just become a bit more dense.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 cornulete
Servings Per Container 20
Amount Per Serving
Calories 199
Calories from Fat 97.2
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.8g
17%
Saturated Fat 4g
20%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 3mg
1%
Sodium 98.6mg
4%
Total Carbohydrate 25.1g
8%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 10.9g
Protein 2.7g
5%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Life of Pisica
This is her go to pose whenever I am at home. She absolutely loves stretching out. Her favorite is stretching in really inconvenient places like walkways and hallways, she is a real pro!