Savory Puff Pastry Horns with Goat Cheese and Bacon

The savory puff pastry horns with goat cheese and bacon are a delicious finger food that can be served as an appetizer or snack during an aperitif. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 roll of rectangular puff pastry
• 100 g of fresh goat cheese
• 100 g of thinly sliced smoked bacon
• 1 egg yolk (for brushing)
• Poppy or sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mold for horns or aluminum cones

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (or 180 °C if convection).
2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into long, narrow strips about 1.5 - 2 cm wide.
3. Wrap the pastry strips around the horn molds, slightly overlapping the edges to ensure they don’t open during baking.
4. Brush the horns with the beaten egg yolk and, if desired, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds for decoration.
5. Arrange the molds with the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden and crispy.
6. In the meantime, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry it in a pan until it becomes crispy. Dry the bacon pieces on paper towels to remove excess fat.
7. In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with a pinch of salt and pepper until you have a spreadable cream.
8. Once the horns are ready, gently remove the molds and allow them to cool.
9. Fill the horns with the goat cheese cream using a piping bag or a teaspoon and add the crispy bacon pieces.
10. Serve the savory puff pastry horns with goat cheese and bacon at room temperature.

Curiosity

The “cannoncini” are originally a sweet treat from the Piedmontese pastry tradition, typically filled with pastry cream. The savory version is a modern variant that plays on the combination of the crispiness of the puff pastry and the intense flavor of goat cheese and bacon, making this dish a great compromise between taste and convenience.