Today I’m teaching you how to make Cuernitos Mexicanos from scratch!
I teased this recipe on Instagram two weeks ago, and folks were so excited to see me developing a recipe for them.
What are cuernitos?
Cuernitos, are a traditional Mexican pan dulce (pastry) shaped like horns, which is how they get their name. At panaderías you will see several different types of cuernitos. Some will be soft, with a sweet pink/orange/ or white sugary streusel stripe running down the center and dusted in cinnamon sugar like the ones we’re making today. Others might be savory, often filled with cream cheese and jalapeños. You will also stumble upon cuernitos that are made with puff pastry and filled with pastry or whipped cream too, but we aren’t making those today.
Before you start
Gather your Ingredients:
First, to make the cuernito dough you need; milk, water, unsalted butter, eggs, sugar, light brown sugar, active-dry yeast, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Next, weigh out your ingredients, and make the bread dough. I decided to use a combination of white and light brown sugar to help accentuate the spices. This dough is a slow riser so do not add any more cinnamon than the recipe calls for. Cinnamon can inhibit yeast, making the dough take even longer to rise.
Then for the streusel, you need all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, butter-flavored shortening, vanilla extract and gel food coloring to color your dough. I recommend using gel food coloring for better color payoff and to avoid over adding moisture to the topping.
Tips to Make Cuernitos Mexicanos
- Work on a clean, lightly floured your surface.
- Lightly grease your hands to make the dough easier to work with.
- Start with 1/4 teaspoon of food gel coloring to avoid adding too much moisture to the topping. If you add too much moisture, add up to an extra teaspoon of flour to get the topping back into workable shape. The topping should be hydrated and pliable, like play doh.
- Slowly press the topping into the dough, if it stick to the rolling pin, it might be too wet. Flour your rolling pin to make it easier to work with.
- Stretch the base of the triangle to about 5-6 inches to give the cuernitos length, so they aren’t short and chubby.
Quick Visual Guide
I hope you give this recipe a try! I know this recipe seems intimidating, but once you shape a few, you’ll get it down. If you need any additional help, I’ll be posting a video on Instagram where I’ll be making them. Remember to have fun, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Anyways, I’d love to see your recreations, so don’t forget to send me any snap shots over on Instagram so I can share your beautiful creations on my stories. Nos vemos pronto!
Click here for more Pan Dulce Recipes!
Cuernitos Mexicanos
Servings 10 pieces
Calories
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ½ cup Whole Milk (118 g)
- ¼ cup Water (59g)
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar (66 g), plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
- 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar (69 g)
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt , or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter (115g), melted
- 2 Large Eggs , at room temp
For the Sweet Streusel Topping
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (125 g)
- 1¼ cup Powdered Sugar (125 g)
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt , or a pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup Butter Flavored Vegetable Shortening (96 g),
- 4 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Food Coloring (optional)
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg , beaten
To Assemble
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter , melted
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Make the Bread Dough:
- In a measuring cup or heatproof bowl, whisk together the milk (118 g), and ¼ cup (59g) water, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds until the mixture is just slightly hot to the touch. (If it's burning hot it'll kill the yeast). For better accuracy, use a thermometer and heat this mixture to 110° to 115℉/43° to 45℃.
- Stir in the yeast, then let this mixture sit for 10 minutes until nice and bubbly. (If it doesn't bloom, the milk might have been too hot and killed yeast. Start over)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 4 cups of flour (500 g), remaining ⅓ cup of sugar (66g), ⅓ cup of light brown sugar (69 g), 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Snap on the dough hook, then turn the mixer on to low and slowly pour in the bloomed yeast mixture. Once incorporated, add in the melted butter, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Increase the speed to medium-low and let the dough come together for two minutes.
- Turn the mixer off, and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and let the dough knead on medium-high for a final 4 minutes. (Note: The dough will be nicely hydrated, and will be very stretchy and slightly sticky to the touch. This is correct! Use a sturdy silicone spatula to handle it.)
- Lightly mist a large bowl with nonstick spray, and use a silicone spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough proof in a warm and dark place for 2 ½ to 3 hours. (This dough is a slow riser so be patient!) While the dough proofs, make the sweet streusel topping.
Make the Streusel Topping:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of all-purpose flour (125 g), 1 cup of powdered sugar (125 g), and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Set aside. In a clean stand mixer bowl, combine ½ cup of butter flavored shortening (96 g), and fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on and beat on low speed for one minute.
- Slowly add in half of the flour mixture, then pour in 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract, then continue adding in the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed until the topping comes together, 2-3 minutes. At this stage the topping should feel like soft play doh. At this stage add ¼ teaspoon of food gel coloring of your choice. If you happen to add too much food coloring and the dough becomes sticky, add 1 teaspoon of flour to get it back to the right consistency. If you feel that it needs more moisture, add in a little more vanilla extract, about 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
- Divide the topping into 10 balls of dough that weigh about 32 grams each. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out, then set aside.
Shape the Rolls:
- Line two large (13×18 in) baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has proofed, punch it down, then let it rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Then divide the dough into 10 portions that weigh about 100 grams each. Make sure to keep the dough covered to prevent it from drying out. Lightly flour your surface, then use a rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough into ovals that are about 6 inches in length and about 3-4 inches in width, making sure not to roll out the dough too thin.
- Take one of the balls of sweet topping and run it in between your hands to shape it into a short 4 inch snake, than place the topping in the middle of the oval, making sure the beginning and end of the snake is running in the same direction as the oval. Use a rolling pin to gently press the topping into the dough, extending the oval to about 12 inches in length, and about 4 inches in width. (Make sure to flour the rolling pin to prevent the topping from sticking)
- Use your hands to shape the oval into a triangle. Gently stretch the bottom of the oval into the base of the triangle to about 5-6 inches in length. Then use your fingers to curl the outer edges of the dough inward. Carefully grab your triangle, and flip it over so the side with the topping is now facing down underneath the dough.
- Use your fingers to gently roll the base of the triangle towards the tip, then Evenly space 5 cuernitos per baking sheet. Finish shaping the cuernitos by individually curling their ends towards each other. Let them proof in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they've doubled in size. (Optional: Gently brush the ends with egg wash before baking).
- Once they're ready to bake, bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until they're nice and golden. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Make the cinnamon sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Brush the ends of the cuernitos with the melted butter, then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Give them a tap to remove any excess, then serve.
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