Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Drain the ricotta: Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth or two clean paper towels and set it over a bowl. Add the ricotta, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Discard the drained liquid. The ricotta should be thick and hold its shape on a spoon.
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly coat 24 wells of a mini muffin pan with baking spray, wiping away any excess. Unroll both pie crusts on a lightly floured work surface.
- Cut the pastry: Cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch (6.4-cm) rounds, placing the cuts close together to minimize scraps. Gather and re-roll the remaining pastry only once, keeping it close to its original thickness.
- Shape the cups: Gently press one pastry round into each mini muffin well. Keep the upper edges reasonably level and prick the bottom of every cup once with a fork to reduce puffing.
- Add the cinnamon sugar: Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) water. Lightly brush the inside and rim of each pastry cup with the egg wash. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle a small amount over each shell.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until both the rims and bases are golden. Proper browning helps the shells remain crisp after filling.
- Cool: Leave the shells in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before adding the ricotta filling.
- Make the cannoli cream: Place the drained ricotta, cold mascarpone, sifted powdered sugar, orange zest, alcohol-free vanilla flavoring, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 to 45 seconds, stopping as soon as the filling becomes smooth.
- Fold half of the mini semisweet chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture. Avoid excessive mixing, which can make the filling looser.
- Chill the filling: Transfer the ricotta cream to a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the filling becomes firm enough to hold a neat swirl.
- Fill the cups: Pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of chilled cannoli cream into each completely cooled pastry shell. For the crispest texture, assemble the cups within 30 to 60 minutes of serving.
- Finish and serve: Sprinkle the remaining mini chocolate chips over the cups. Add finely chopped pistachios and a light dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Keep assembled cannoli cups refrigerated until serving.
Notes
Moisture control is the key to crisp cannoli cups. Drain the ricotta for at least 1 hour; overnight draining works especially well. The cheese should be thick and creamy rather than squeezed completely dry.
Keep the baked shells and ricotta filling separate until shortly before serving. Filling the shells about 30 to 60 minutes before serving gives the best crisp-creamy texture.
The unfilled shells can be baked up to 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature away from humidity. The filling can be prepared about 1 day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Freeze only the unfilled baked shells for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature. If needed, refresh them in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 4 to 5 minutes and cool completely before filling. Freezing the ricotta cream is not recommended because its texture may separate.
For a lemon variation, replace the orange zest with finely grated lemon zest. For a pistachio version, omit the chocolate chips and use finely chopped pistachios. For a chocolate-lined version, coat the inside of each cooled shell with melted semisweet chocolate and allow it to set before adding the filling.
If mascarpone is unavailable, substitute an additional 4 ounces (113 g) of well-drained ricotta, although the finished filling may be slightly softer.
The recipe contains milk, wheat, and egg. Pistachios add tree nuts, so omit them when necessary and check all packaged ingredient labels when serving guests with food allergies.