MINI CANNOLI CUPS

 

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the time or the ingredients handy to make the dough, wrap it around cannoli tubes, fry it and so on. So I can across this recipe using a pie crust instead of frying dough. The recipe is easy and really good. Enjoy!!!

For Cups
Flour for dusting surface
1 refrigerated pie crusts
3 tbsp. coarse natural sugar (I used regular sugar)
1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling
1 (15oz) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting finished cups
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine all ingredients for the filling except the chocolate chips and mix well until creamy. Place the filling in a 1-gallon plastic storage bag and chill while you make

the cups. Filling may seem thin but will firm up slightly when it’s refrigerated. For thicker cream see notes below.

Heat oven to 425°F. Unroll the piecrusts onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the top of each crust with the natural sugar and the cinnamon. Lightly roll over it with a rolling pin so that sugar and cinnamon are pressed into the dough.

With a 2 1/2-3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and lightly press them inside an ungreased mini muffin or mini cupcake pan to create a pastry cup... sugar facing up.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until cups are golden. Remove from oven and allow cups to cool. Once cups are cool they can be removed from tin and

 

Remove filling from refrigerator, cut one of the bottom corners off the bag and pipe a little less than a tablespoon of filling into the cooled cannoli cups.

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
 

Cups should be filled shortly BEFORE they are eaten so the don’t get SOGGY. If you wish to make them ahead of time, you can make the cups and the cream and keep them separate. Once you are ready to eat, you can fill, decorate and serve.

Cooking Tips:
If you want the cream to be extra thick you can stain the ricotta in some cheese cloth placed in a bowl and covered over night before you mix your sugar to make the cream. This will remove any excess water and give you a thicker consistency.

Filling can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.

A variation in the cannoli cream that works well is a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract and or orange extract.

Other toppings that go well with the cannoli cups are chopped toasted almonds, chocolate sprinkles, candied orange pieces, chopped candied red cherries, as well as a sprinkle of cinnamon.