Mini Cannoli Recipes

5-INGREDIENT CANNOLIS

Steps:

• Place the ricotta cheese into a fine mesh strainer and place it in the fridge to drain for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

MINI CANNOLI CREAM PASTRY CUPS

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Place filling in 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate while making cups.
• Heat oven to 425°F. On lightly floured work surface, unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle each crust with turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Lightly roll rolling pin over sugar and cinnamon to press into pastry. With 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Lightly press each pastry round into ungreased mini muffin cup.
• Bake about 10 minutes or until pastry cups are golden brown. Cool completely in pans, about 15 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling racks.
• Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator. Cut 1 bottom corner off bag; pipe scant tablespoon filling into cooled pastry cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Store any remaining pastry cups at room temperature and filling in refrigerator.

CANNOLI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix with a fork until the dough becomes stiff, then finish it by hand, kneading on a clean surface. Add a bit more water if needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide the cannoli dough into thirds, and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. Dust lightly with flour if necessary. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or large glass or bowl, cut out 4 to 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll dough around cannoli tubes, sealing the edge with a bit of egg white.
• Heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy skillet. Fry shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove using the tongs, and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes, then carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a tea towel may help you get a better grip. Wash or wipe off the tubes, and use them for more shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hours before serving.
• To make the filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners' sugar using a spoon. Fold in lemon zest and chocolate. Use a pastry bag to pipe into shells, filling from the center to one end, then doing the same from the other side. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar and grated chocolate for garnish when serving.

MINI CANNOLI CREAM CUPS RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• 1. 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. 2. Heat oven to 425°F. Unroll the pie crusts 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. 3. With a 2 1/2-3 inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out circles and lightly press them inside an ungreased mini muffin or mini cupcake pan to create a pastry cup. 4. 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 filled. 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. 5. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, dust with powdered sugar and serve. Tips: 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.

MINI CANNOLI CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Crust: Crush the waffle cones in the food processor. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Mix very well. Press the crushed waffle cones into the muffin pan cups, evenly, all over the bottom and a little bit up the side. Set aside.
• Cheesecake:
• Start beating the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract and sour cream into the cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition.
• Lower the speed to low and add orange zest, sugar, corn starch and salt. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined.
• Pour the cheesecake batter into the muffin pan with crust, about 3/4 full. (You can use aluminum foil cupcake liners, that are lightly greased inside, to make the cheesecakes. That might make it easier to take out of the pan.)
• Bake at 325, for about 18-20 minutes. Touch the centers with your finger to make sure it's done (It should still jiggle but not be gooey.)
• Cannoli filling:
• Beat the heavy cream and 2 tbs of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer, until soft peaks appear.
• In a separate bowl, beat ricotta, sugar, vanilla (Amaretto if using) and orange zest for a couple of minutes.
• Slowly, fold the ricotta mixture into the whipped heavy cream until all incorporated.
• Make sure the cheesecakes are completely cooled before covering with cannoli filling.
• Add the chocolate chips to a shallow bowl and spread it out. Cover the sides of the mini cheesecakes with the filling and carefully roll it in the mini chips. Press them in lightly. Using a spatula, spread more filling on the top of the cheesecake.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Note: to take out the cheesecakes from the pan: Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan. Once they are at room temperature, run a lightly greased butter knife between the cheesecake and the cup to separate it from the pan. Then gently take them out using a small rubber spatula. Or, you can bake the cheesecakes in the aluminum foil cupcake cups just make sure to grease inside the aluminum cups so it will be easier to peel off.

CANNOLI MINI TACO BOWLS™

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat ricotta cheese, whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Cover and refrigerate.
• Meanwhile, in deep fryer or 3-quart heavy-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 inches oil to 350°F. In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, add granulated sugar and cinnamon.
• Place bowls in batches in preheated oil; fry 1 minute on each side, using tongs to turn bowls halfway through, until lightly brown all over. Drain bowls upside down on paper towel-lined cookie sheet until slightly cool; toss 4 bowls at a time in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
• Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator, and fill decorating bag fitted with large piping star tip. Pipe filling into cooled bowls, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Top with mint leaves. Serve immediately. Store any remaining filled bowls in refrigerator.

CANNOLI MINI TACO BOWLS

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat ricotta cheese, whipping cream, icing sugar, vanilla and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Cover and refrigerate.
• Meanwhile, in deep fryer or 3-quart (3 L) heavy-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 inches (5 cm) oil to 350°F. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, add granulated sugar and cinnamon.
• Place bowls in batches in preheated oil; fry 1 minute on each side, using tongs to turn bowls halfway through, until lightly brown all over. Drain bowls upside down on paper towel-lined cookie sheet until slightly cool; toss 4 bowls at a time in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
• Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator, and fill decorating bag fitted with large piping star tip. Pipe filling into cooled bowls, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Top with mint leaves. Serve immediately. Store any remaining filled bowls in refrigerator.

MINI FROZEN CANNOLI CHEESECAKE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and two sides of 9x9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cone crumbs and butter. Press mixture into bottom of the prepared baking pan to form a thin even crust.
• In a large mixing bowl beat together ricotta, mascarpone, and granulated sugar until well combined with an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in eggs one at a time. Then beat in vanilla, orange, and cinnamon.
• Pour cheesecake filling on top of crust and spread to form an even layer. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of cheesecake filling.
• Bake cheesecake at 350 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes or until slightly golden brown around edges and nearly set in center. (This cheesecake should bake in about 30-35 minutes but I have updated time based on reader results. Pan size or recipe changes will also affect baking time.)
• Remove cheesecake from oven, cool completely, then place in freezer for about 2-3 hours or until frozen.
• Remove cheesecake from pan by lifting up on parchment paper. Place cheesecake on cutting board. Cut edges off of cheesecake if desired. Then cut cheesecake in half, then half again with a long serrated knife. Repeat with each piece until you have about 64 small cheesecake squares total. Place squares on a silicone mat lined baking sheet and place in freezer.
• Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in large bowl. Heat heavy whipping cream in microwave or in a small pan until nearly boiling. Pour over chocolate. Let sit a few seconds then stir until smooth. If chocolate is still chunky, place bowl in microwave for 10-15 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
• Once the chocolate has cooled and cheesecake bites are frozen again, dip each cheesecake bite into chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off, then place cheesecake bites back onto silicone mat lined baking sheet. Place back in freezer until chocolate is set and ready to serve.

HOMEMADE CANNOLI

Steps:

• For the shell dough: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the butter pieces into the flour with your fingers until the mixture becomes coarse and sandy. Add the egg yolk and the white wine and mix until it becomes a smooth dough. Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place the dough in the center. Wrap the plastic loosely around it and press the dough to fill the gap. Flattening the dough will mean less rolling later. Let it rest in the fridge for a few minutes while you make the filling.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Mix to blend. In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat the heavy cream until fairly stiff. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Lightly zest the exterior of the lemon and stir it into the ricotta. Refrigerate for a half hour to an hour.
• To roll and fry the shells: In a medium pot with a heavy bottom, heat the canola oil to 360 degrees F. Meanwhile, sift an even layer of flour on a flat surface. Flour a rolling pin. Roll the dough until it is very thin (about 1/8-inch thick). Cut the dough into fourths and work in small batches. Use any glass or small bowl that has a 3-to-4-inch diameter. Cut rounds, tracing around each one to assure the dough has been fully cut. You should have about 24 circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli mold. Use a little of the egg wash on the edge of each round to seal it shut and to assure it won't slide or fall off the mold before pressing it closed over the mold. Flare the edges out slightly from the mold. Flaring will allow the oil to penetrate each cannoli shell as they fry. Use a pair of tongs to hold the edge of the mold as you submerge and fry the shell in the oil until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil, and holding the mold in one had with your tongs, gently grip the shell in your other hand with a kitchen towel and carefully slide it off the mold. Set aside to cool. Repeat with all of the circles.
• To fill the cannolis: Just before serving, use a pastry bag without a tip to pipe the ricotta into the cannoli molds. Fill the cannoli shells from both ends so the cream runs through the whole shell. Dust with powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives that little extra sweetness and added texture to the exterior. It also makes me feel like I have a professional bakery touch in my own home. Serve immediately.

MINI CANNOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425. Prepare filling by combining all ingredients except chocolate chips in a bowl with an electric mixer. Place in a one-gallon freezer bag and refrigerate. Roll out pie crusts and sprinkle each all over one side with sugar and cinnamon. Roll over dough with rolling pin gently to push cinnamon and sugar into the pie crust. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Lightly press the circles into ungreased mini cupcake pans to form a pastry cup. Gently prick the bottoms on the cups with a fork so that they don't rise too much in the oven! Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and once cool, fill with cream. Cut off a small part of the corner of the plastic bag to fill cups. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and dust with powdered sugar Filling can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days before filling. Fill about 1 hour before serving.