Cannoli is a tasty Italian dessert that has lots of options to suit your tastes and exploring your creativity.
Preparing the Filling Ingredient:
Ricotta cheese is one of the most versatile cheeses you can find. Many filling recipe will feature ricotta, which is a naturally low-fat cheese similar to cottage cheese but lighter in flavor and texture.
Ingredients: Ricotta Filling makes 2 lbs
2 pounds of prepared ricotta cheese, well drained
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Place the ricotta in the bowl of your stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat until smooth, three to four minutes.
- Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated, one or two minutes more.
- Add the vanilla.This can be held for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Since any filling will cause your cannoli shell to get soggy eventually, it is best to fill your cannoli shells no more than four hours before serving them.
Variations: Try the following if you want a more creative and flavorful cannoli filling
- Add the zest of 1 orange, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, and replace the vanilla with an equal amount of rum flavoring. Fold in 1 cup of raisins or golden raisins after you’re done beating in the sugar, spices, and rum flavoring for a fall harvest cannoli.
- Add the zest of a lemon and a teaspoon of lemon extract. Don’t add the vanilla. This makes a bright, flavorful lemon cannoli. Of course, you can use any citrus zest/extract combination for various flavors of citrus cannoli.
- Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and replace the vanilla extract with mint extract to make chocolate mint cannolis.
- Add two tablespoons of candied orange peel, finely chopped, and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, candied ginger to the filling. Fold it in after beating in the sugar and vanilla.
- Fold in a cup of mini chocolate chips after beating in the sugar and vanilla.