How to Make Korone (Japanese Chocolate and Custard Cornets Recipe)

Collect all the necessary ingredients for the pastry: bread flour, dry yeast, warm water, salt, sugar, butter, and eggs. Then, grease the mold.

In a large bowl, add the bread flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, egg yolks, yeast, and salt. Pour the warm water and mix the dough thoroughly with a spatula until it becomes smooth.

Once smooth, add butter. Then continue mixing the dough. When the dough is no longer powdery, transfer it to a clean work surface. Use the palms of your hands to push and knead the dough.

This dough is quite sticky, but once the butter has fully absorbed into the dough, it will eventually become very smooth. (It can take up to 10 minutes to reach this point.) When the dough is smooth, stretch it out to see if the gluten has developed enough. If you don’t know how to check, basically, the dough should not tear when stretched.

Note: If you are using a stand mixer, follow the instructions according to your machine.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover and put the dough in a warm place (at around 40°C or 104°F) for 25-35 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

After the bread dough has rested, dust your index finger with flour and poke the center of the dough. If the hole does not spring back, the dough is ready.

Punch the dough to release the built-up gas that was created while it was resting.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a work surface. Measure the weight of the dough (it should be around 350g) and cut the dough with a dough scraper into 8 equal pieces (each should be 40-45g).

Knead each piece nicely and shape them into evenly round and smooth balls.

Cover the dough and let it rest for an additional 15 minutes at room temperature.

Use your hand to roll out the dough into a thin rod shape.

Wrap the dough around the cornet mold, starting from the thicker end and moving toward the thinner end.

Place them evenly on a baking tray and let them undergo a second proofing in a warm place (around 30°C/86°F), ensuring they do not dry out. After 30 minutes, once the dough has risen properly, the proofing is complete.

Gently brush a thin layer of egg wash over the dough and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/374°F for 13 minutes.

Carefully remove the cornet molds and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. (Be cautious, as they will be very hot.)

Collect all the necessary ingredients for custard and chocolate cream: egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, milk, vanilla extract, and chocolate.

Warm the milk in a pot to about 70°C/158°F, being careful not to let it boil. In a separate bowl, whisk two egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture lightens in color. Add cornstarch and whisk again. Gradually add the warm milk in two portions, mixing thoroughly each time.

Strain the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula. Once it thickens and drips slowly from the spatula, add vanilla extract and mix well. Take the half portion (about 160-180g) out, place it in a bowl, and chill thoroughly.

Melt the chopped chocolate using a double boiler. Then, add the melted chocolate to the remaining custard cream in a small saucepan and mix well.

Once the pastries are cooled, pipe the cream into the hollow center.

Store the filled cornet pastries in the refrigerator and consume on the same day.