By: Francesca Montillo, ISDA Food + Travel Writer
Is there anything more delicious than a classic Sicilian cannoli?
Purchasing pre-made shells saves hours of time in the kitchen, and when you don’t have to fry the shells the cleanup is a snap.
There’s no shame in getting a little help in the kitchen once in a while. Let’s call it semi-homemade, shall we? Amazon has several options for different size shells; you can also check your local grocery store’s bakery department too, as they will likely have them.
Because the filling is only a few key ingredients, purchase the best whole milk ricotta you can find. Bel Gioioso is my preferred brand when I made them at home.
Cannoli are best filled immediately upon serving, so prepare the cream when you’re done with dinner and ready to serve dessert.
Or you can prepare the cream beforehand, refridgerate it, and just hold off on filling the shells until you’re ready to serve. You can refrigerate them for up to 1 day, but as you probably know, expect the shell to get a bit soggy.
Ingredients
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
4 cups whole milk ricotta
8 large cannoli shells
16 maraschino cherries (optional)
½ cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)
Crushed pistachios (optoinal)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whip the heavy whipping cream and sugar using the whisk attachment of your mixer. Mix until fully whipped and stiff, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Gently add the ricotta to the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Mix just until combined, do not overmix.
- Using a pastry bag or a plastic freezer bag with the tip cut off, pipe the cream into the shells. Decorate with a half maraschino cherry at the end, or dip the end of each cannoli into the chocolate chips or crushed pistachios, if desired.
- Add to serving platter and dust with additional powdered sugar. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a max of 1 day.
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