Marie Doria’s Favorite Cannoli Filling Recipe

2.Decorate ends of cannoli with ground toasted almonds or pistachios. For added decoration, place a raspberry or shredded coconut on each end of cannoli. Immediately before serving sprinkle lightly with confectionery sugar.

Marie Doria’s Favorite Cannoli Filling Recipe

This adds a slight cinnamon flavor to the filling.

1 pound Ricotta cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

¾teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons or semi-sweet grated chocolate or chocolate chips

½ cup chopped nuts (preferably walnuts or almonds)

1.Use low moisture Ricotta or thoroughly drain off all excess liquid from the cheese. Add the

powdered sugar and cinnamon to the cheese and use an electric mixer to blend the ingredients fully. Then fold in the grated chocolate or chocolate chips.

2.Place the cannoli mix in a pastry bag for easy dispensing into the formed pizzelle shells. Fill each shell fully with the mix, and for decoration and added flavor, press the chopped nuts onto the exposed areas of the cannoli.

3.For an interesting variation, blend ½ teaspoon of rum extract into the cannoli mix and prepare a tablespoon of chopped cherries or candied cherries to decorate further the exposed surface of the finished cannoli.

Maria Doria’s Optional Cannoli Filling Recipe

This is an American variation adding cream for a smoother filling.

1 pound Ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons heavy cream

¼cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons of orange liquor

2 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons chopped mixed candied fruits

Use moisture-free Ricotta cheese or drain off all excess liquid from the cheese. Combine the cheese, cream, sugar and orange liquor and then blend fully with a hand mixer. The mixture must be stiff enough so that it will hold its shape when used to fill the cannoli shells. If needed add more cheese to stiffen the mixture. Then fold in the chocolate chips and candied fruits.

Load into a pastry bag and fill each shell fully. If you wish to decorate the exposed cannoli surface, consider using chocolate bits, jimmies, more candied fruits or colored chopped nuts.

Delicious Variations of the cannolis and pizzelle pastries

Pizzelles can be used in a variety of other ways.

Consider alternate fillings for your cannolis, such as thick flavored custards, heavy puddings, whipping cream (plain or with powdered sugar), meringue or cheese cake.

It is also possible to create attractive pastry baskets by quickly forming the pizzelle while still hot over the base of a small flat bottom glass or cup. These small baskets can be filled with any of the foods listed above or used as individualized decorative containers for raspberries, chopped peaches, cherries, other favorite fruits or candies.