Description
These Mini Cannoli Cups combine crisp cinnamon-sugar pastry cups with sweet, creamy citrus-kissed ricotta filling. Top them with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios for an easy bite-sized Thanksgiving dessert.
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cannoli Cups:
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts), softened according to package directions
- 3 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Garnish:
- 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios
- Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pie crusts. Sprinkle them evenly with turbinado sugar and cinnamon.
- Lightly roll over the crusts to press the cinnamon-sugar coating into the dough.
- Cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch circles. Press each circle into an ungreased mini muffin cup. Reroll the scraps as needed to make 48 shells.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the pastry cups look golden and crisp.
- Cool the cups in the pans for about 15 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
- Meanwhile, beat the drained ricotta, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, citrus zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
- Transfer the ricotta filling to a large resealable bag. Refrigerate it until serving time.
- Just before serving, cut off a small corner of the bag and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry shell.
- Top with miniature chocolate chips or chopped pistachios. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
Drain the ricotta thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Keep leftover unfilled pastry shells at room temperature and refrigerate the ricotta filling separately.
Fill the shells only shortly before serving so the pastry stays crisp.
For a chocolate variation, dip the upper edges of the baked shells in melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set before adding the filling.
Almond extract can replace vanilla extract, although it will change the flavor slightly. Orange liqueur can also add a different citrus note.
Other topping options include shredded coconut, sprinkles, or small candy pieces.
Thawed frozen rolled pie-crust dough can replace refrigerated pie crust. Preformed frozen pie shells work less well because they can be difficult to reshape.
Nutrition values are automatically calculated and approximate.