Keto Recipes

Cornetti: the delicious recipe for making soft, fragrant Italian croissants like the bars

Cornetti (pronounced kr-neh-tee) is a delicious, sweet recipe for making Italian croissants. People usually enjoy at breakfast or even as a snack together with a cup of coffee or cappuccino. The Italian word cornetto means “little horn” in English and it stands for are soft leavened brioches made with a lemon and vanilla scented dough.

Said cornetto in the singular, it is a delicious and fragrant recipe like those you can find in the so-called Italian bars (café). You can enjoy a cornetto plain or filled with creams and fruit jams.

With a shiny surface, Italian croissants are made with genuine, simple ingredients such as flour, eggs, milk, butter and sugar. Thanks to the quick puff pastry technique, it is possible to save precious time, obtaining not too sweet nor buttery treats.

Italian cornetti are also called 8-ply croissants precisely because they are made up of eight layers of dough overlapped and stuffed with a delicate cream of butter and sugar. In this way you will avoid having to make the classic folds. The cream of butter should be very soft but not liquid, otherwise it will come out of the sheets, ruining the croissants.

Once you have the triangles of brioche dough, you can leave them empty or fill them with jams, custard or a chocolate spread. In any case, Italian croissants will be delicious and irresistible, the perfect treat to start the day in the best possible way.

Cornetti vs. Croissants

Cornetti are the Italian version of the classic French croissants. Cornetti are as soft as a brioche, but less buttery and rich than croissants yet denser and sweeter.

Another difference is that croissants are often flavored with vanilla and the grated peel of lemons or oranges, while typical French ones are not.

Tips for making Italian Croissants

You can flavor the dough with grated orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon or orange blossom.

Use high-quality ingredients for this recipe.

How to store Cornetti

Italian croissants can be stored at room temperature, in a special food bag, for 2-3 days. Before serving, heat them for a few minutes in the oven.

Can you freeze Cornetti?

You can also freeze baked or raw cornetti before the second leavening. Arrange them on a baking sheet, store them in the freezer and transfer them to plastic bags once solid. Thaw them at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then brush an egg yolk on top and bake cornetti as directed.

Ingredients:

FOR THE LEAVENING

• FLOUR 0: 70 g
• WATER: 70 g
• FRESH BREWER’S YEAST: 15 g

FOR THE DOUGH

• MANITOBA’S FLOUR: 230 g
• FLOUR: 230 g
• FRESH WHOLE MILK: 180 g
• EGGS: 2
• GRANULATED SUGAR: 100 g
• BUTTER, SOFTENED: 60 g
• LEMON, ZESTED: 1
• VANILLA EXTRACT: 1 tsp
• FINE SALT: 8 g

FOR THE BUTTER CREAM

• BUTTER: 70 g
• GRANULATED SUGAR: 70 g

FOR BRUSHING AND DECORATING

• EGG YOLK: 1
• MILK
• POWDERED SUGAR

How to make Cornetti Italian Croissants

Step 1

Prepare a leaven by mixing the flour with the water in which you have dissolved the brewer’s yeast. Double the volume, then add the remaining flour.

Step 2

Also combine all the other ingredients: eggs, sugar and milk. Work the dough and, when it takes on consistency, start incorporating the soft butter, a few pieces at a time, the salt and finally the flavorings.

Step 3

Work the dough until it is smooth and stringed (possibly with the stand mixer), form a ball and let it rise for 2-3 hours, until doubled in volume.

Step 4

When the dough has doubled in volume, it is ready to be used.

Step 5

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Step 6

Shape each of them into balls and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Step 7

Partially roll out each ball with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for another 10 minutes.

Step 8

Roll out the sheets again until thin and as large as a flat plate.

Step 9

Spread the butter cream and sugar on each sheet.

Step 10

Overlap one sheet on top of the other after spreading the cream on the one below.

Step 11

Place the last sheet that will obviously not be brushed.

Step 12

Let it rest for 10 minutes, then seal the edges well and roll out the 8 sheets with a rolling pin until they are a few mm thick.

Step 13

Cut the resulting circle into quarters using a pastry cutter wheel.

Step 14

Divide each quarter into 3 parts to get 12 triangles.

Step 15

Make a small cut at the base of each triangle, then roll it tightly until you get a crescent shape.

Step 16

Place the Italian croissants on a dripping pan, lined with parchment paper, and let rise until doubled in volume, covered with cling film.

Step 17

When they are swollen, the croissants are ready to be baked

Step 18

Brush the cornetti with the egg yolk, beaten with a drop of milk.

Step 19

Bake the cornetti at 200°C/390°F for about 20 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool.

Step 20

Sprinkle the Italian croissants with a little powdered sugar.

Step 21

Serve and enjoy cornetti.

 

Syn Free Ricotta Spinach Topped Chicken is the ultimate family meal. Tender Chicken breasts over a rich tomato sauce topped with garlicky ricotta and spinach. Yum!!

Ingredients:

• 4 Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts, raw (approx 160g/5.6oz per breast)
• salt and black pepper
• cooking oil spray

for the tomato sauce

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• pinch of mixed Italian herbs
• 1 cup (240ml) of crushed tomatoes (or passata)
• 1 tbs of tomato paste
• 1 cup (240ml) of chicken stock
• for the ricotta and spinach
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
• 270g/9.5oz of ricotta – 3 HEa’s
• 15g of parmesan – 1/2 HEa
• 25g of mozzarella – 1/2 HEa
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken breast on a chopped board, cover with cling film, and flatten down with a meat mallet/tenderizer, season both sides with salt and black pepper.
2. Spray a frying pan over a medium high heat with some cooking oil spray, once hot, add the chicken and brown till lightly golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.

For the tomato sauce:

1. Spray the pan with some more cooking oil spray, add the onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes to soften.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, mixed herbs, tomato paste and stock, bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until the sauce reduces down and thickens.
3. Add this to an oven proof dish and spray all across the bottom. Then place in the chicken breast.

For the ricotta spinach:

1. Wipe the frying pan clean and spray with some more cooking oil spray.
2. Add the spinach and garlic and fry until the spinach just starts to wilt.
3. Remove from heat, add in the ricotta until all combined and then stir in the egg.
4. Spoon this over the top of the chicken.
5. Crumble the parmesan and mozzarella together and loosely scatter over the top.
6. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
7. Cover over the dish with foil and bake for about 20 mins, remove foil then continue to bake for another 10-15 mins, until the cheese on top has all melted and is lightly golden and chicken is cooked through.
8. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes:

This recipe is gluten free, Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly

Extra Easy – 1 HEa per serving

Original/SP – 1 HEa per serving

WW Smart Points – 6 per serving

suitable for freezing

Nutritional Info:

Yield:4

Serving Size: 1

Calories385TotalFat12.7gSaturatedFat7.6gCholesterol88mgSodium497mgCarbohydrates12.4gFiber2.3gSugar5.1gProtein53.3g

 

Smoky ham and white bean soup made easy in the Instant Pot.

I think my favorite thing to make in my Instant Pot so far, has been soup. I’ve made a lot of soups and my pressure cooker is my go-to for making chicken stock (or bone broth, if you prefer). Instant Pot Ham and White Bean Soup is so easy and so good. We love it.

I used to never make soups from dried beans because I was always turned off by having to soak them overnight. Don’t have to do that with the Instant Pot. I didn’t and they were perfectly tender. I wanted cannellini beans, but couldn’t find dried, so I used Great Northern beans, which is probably the preferred white bean to use anyway. You need a one-pound bag of beans.

I love ham shanks for soups, they are meaty and add so much flavor. You could use a smoked ham hock but you won’t get any meat to shred for the soup. You’re better off with shanks or a meaty ham bone with some extra meat added. Just sayin’

I flavored the soup a couple different ways, each time I made it. I like fresh rosemary and thyme (or dried) a lot. I also like herbs de Provence. Whatever you got and like. And a bay leaf. That’s it. Well, along with the onion, celery, carrot and garlic, that’s it.

Prep Time: 10mins

Cook Time: 35mins

Bring to pressure/release: 45mins

Total Time: 1hr 30mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried Great Northern white beans, picked over and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary and thyme, minced or 2 teaspoons dried, or 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds meaty, smoked ham shanks
• 8 cups water
• 2 sprigs parsley

Instructions:

1.  Turn Instant Pot on sauté setting and heat olive oil in insert. I use the medium heat setting for sautéing. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until starting to soften, a few minutes. Add garlic, stir a few seconds until fragrant, then add herbs and bay leaf, stir and turn off sauté function.
2. Add the dried beans to the pot along with the ham shanks. Pour in 8 cups of water and combine gently. Toss in 2 sprigs of parsley.
3. Close lid and seal pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure and set timer for 35 minutes. It will take about 25 minutes to reach pressure and then the timer will start. When finished cooking, let pressure naturally release for 20 minutes.
4. Manually release any remaining pressure, carefully open pot. Remove ham shanks to cutting board and shred/cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Add back to soup and season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with a little hot sauce on the side.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• I do not presoak the beans and never have a problem with them cooking all the way. Use the manual pressure cook setting, set at high pressure. Do not use the bean or soup setting. I can not stress this enough.
• Make sure to use a natural release of at least 20 minutes before you open the pot.
• If the beans are not tender, remove the ham shanks and cook the beans under high pressure an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• The soup will thicken upon standing as well as after refrigeration. I like it on the broth-y side but also like it after it sits for awhile and thickens.
• Use a ham bone, either leftover or shanks, to cook with the beans to make the best flavored broth. Add any leftover ham not on the bone at the end.
• Total time to make this soup is about an hour and a half. It takes some time to come to pressure and then the natural release time, but it’s all hands off and easy.
• If the beans aren’t tender enough, remove the ham shanks and cook for another 5 minutes under high pressure, release pressure manually and continue with recipe.

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 1090mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1355IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 6mg