Until about eight months ago, I only associated the word “Cornetto” with the ice cream brand (and their tasty bottom-of-the-cone chocolate nubs). What a waste the years prior were. Ever since I tried buttery, pillow-soft Italian cornetto pastry in a bakery dangerously close to my home, I’ve become addicted to the fluffy delight. But despite being told the creation is basically an “Italian croissant,” I’ve since been roundly rebuffed for repeating that information. So what is the difference?

Texture has a lot to do with it 
According to Italian food YouTuber Giada de Laurentiis, “In France you’d start your day with a flakey, buttery croissant and a cafe au lait, while in Italy breakfast would be a soft and sweet cornetto with a cappuccino.” That’s because, though they’re both laminated doughs that involve a lot of fiddly folding and time-consuming proving, they each have different ingredients.