12:33 AM
E
The French may corner the market on gourmet meals and desserts, but it goes without saying that the Italians aren't far behind. From pasta puttanesca to pizza primavera, Italian food is a staple in the American kitchen. However, when it comes to dessert--apart from everybody's favorite meal-ender, tiramisu--Italians have a slew of delicious and practically unknown sweets to top off your dinner.
To the non-Italian, many of the traditional desserts sound strange and unappealing. Spumoni (an Italian flag-inspired ice cream dessert), for instance, often is avoided because of the strange inclusion of pistachio ice cream alongside cherry and vanilla ice cream. And when people hear the secret about tiramisu, they tend to offer strange looks of disbelief in response. Sweet marscapone? Cheese? How could it be true! Yet tongues and taste buds seem to always move past the cheesy truth to taste the sweet, smooth cream that sits atop those ladyfingers.
Cannoli are very similar to their famous cousin, tiramisu. Before they are taken in lieu of guns ("The Godfather," anyone?), they too are filled with sweet cheese. But this cheese, ricotta, is more famous for its savory starring role in lasagna. Ricotta, like cottage cheese, is full of small cheese curds, giving it a lumpy quality. Naturally, while the smoothness of marscapone can easily be forgiven, not everybody enjoys pieces of cheese curd in their dessert. Plus, the traditional cannoli contain candied citron, a crunchy additive that many might rather avoid. It's no wonder the average American hardly knows about cannoli--they hardly seem edible!
But the good news is that cannoli are not a fixed construct. Adding marscapone to cut the curd of the ricotta is one viable option. Another is to play with flavors and garnishes in order to create the perfect cannoli that you will love just as much as your tiramisu. Lucky for you, the Giddy Gourmands have got you four flavors to get you started!
Cannoli Siciliani
by Chef E
Yields 12 cannoli (24 mini cannoli)
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup marscapone cheese
1 tsp rum
cannoli shells
maraschino cherries, sliced in half (2 per cannoli)
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and diced
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta and marscapone until smooth. Using an electric hand mixer, add in powdered sugar, a bit at a time. Add rum. Fill shells using a spoon or a piping bag. Place half a cherry on each end. Dip the bottom half of each end in pistachios. Serve immediately.
Chocolate Chip Cannoli
by Chef E
Yields 12 cannoli (24 mini cannoli)
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup marscapone cheese
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
cannoli shells
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta and marscapone until smooth. Using an electric hand mixer, add in powdered sugar, a bit at a time. Add chocolate chips (do not use hand mixer). Fill shells using a spoon or piping bag. Serve immediately.
For added taste and appearance, melt an additional cup or two of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip each end of the shells before filling.
Chocolate Cannoli
by Chef E
Yields 12 cannoli (24 mini cannoli)
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup marscapone cheese
1/2 cup melted dark chocolate
1 tsp Kahlua
1 tbsp coffee, cold
cannoli shells
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta and marscapone until smooth. Using an electric hand mixer, add in powdered sugar, a bit at a time. Melt chocolate in a double boiler--allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Add chocolate to filling mixture. Add Kahlua and coffee. (Note: Ensure that the coffee is cool or room temperature.) Fill shells using a spoon or piping bag. Serve immediately.
For added taste and appearance, dust cannoli with extra powdered sugar.
Lemon Cannoli
by Chef E
Yields 12 cannoli (24 mini cannoli)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup marscapone cheese
1/4 cup lemon curd
1/4 tsp lemon zest
cannoli shells
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta and marscapone until smooth. Using an electric hand mixer, add in powdered sugar, a bit at a time. Add lemon curd and zest, mixing well. Fill shells using a spoon or piping bag. Serve immediately.
For added taste and appearance, dust top of cannoli with extra powdered sugar.
Bon Appétit!
With these flavors on your platter, there's no denying that, even with cheese as their base, cannoli can be a delectable alternative to ice cream or cake. And although the larger size of shell is more traditional, the mini cannoli shells will make it easier for your guests to try each of your unique desserts. And smaller cannoli mean that your guests can go back for seconds, if you're lucky ... or unlucky!
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