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Cornulețe
Romanian jam-filled crescent cookies dusted with vanilla sugar
Cornulețe are the little crescent cookies that fill tins in Romanian kitchens before Christmas and New Year, and that grandmothers in Sibiu and Timișoara bake by the hundred for weddings and name days. This version uses a tender yeasted dough made with butter and yogurt, wrapped around a spoonful of thick plum jam (magiun) or rose rahat and rolled into horns. They bake pale and soft, not flaky, and are rolled in vanilla sugar while warm (the recipe makes 32, two per serving), which sets them apart from the cream-cheese rugelach of Jewish baking. Chef's tip: use thick jam and pinch the ends shut; runny jam is the usual mistake and bubbles out and burns on the tray.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 ½ oz buttersoft
- 5 ½ oz plain yogurt
- ¼ cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
To finish
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, ¼ oz dried fast-action yeast, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt. Rub in 5 ½ oz butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add 5 ½ oz plain yogurt, ¼ cup whole milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract and knead briefly into a soft, smooth dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and rest in a cool place for 30 minutes; the dough will relax and puff slightly.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two baking trays. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each into a 25 cm circle about 3 mm thick. Cut each circle into 8 wedges like a pizza.
10 minStep 4: Put a scant teaspoon of 7 oz thick plum butter (magiun) or firm jam on the wide end of each wedge, fold the corners over it, pinch, and roll up towards the point. Curve gently into a crescent and set on the tray, point underneath.
15 minStep 5: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until puffed and only pale golden underneath; the tops stay light.
20 minStep 6: Mix 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla sugar and roll the warm crescents in it. Cool, then dust again. They keep a week in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cornulețe take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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