Description
Indulgent cannoli ice cream brings Sicilian dessert magic to your frozen treat experience. Creamy ricotta, chocolate chips, and crisp pastry fragments create a delightful dessert you’ll savor with pure culinary joy.
Ingredients
Scale
Dairy and Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 15 ounces (425 grams) whole milk ricotta
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese (diced into small cubes)
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- Seeds of 1 small vanilla bean
Mix-ins and Garnishes:
- 1/2 cup cannoli shell pieces
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Whisk heavy cream, milk, sugar, and corn syrup in a blender until sugar completely dissolves, approximately 60 seconds.
- Incorporate ricotta, cream cheese, and vanilla bean seeds, blending until smooth and homogeneous.
- Pour mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 hour, pausing midway to stir thoroughly.
- Transfer chilled mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer’s specifications.
- During the final moments of churning, gradually fold in crushed cannoli shell fragments, miniature chocolate chips, and finely chopped unsalted pistachios.
- Carefully transfer the freshly churned ice cream into a sealed container, ensuring even distribution of added ingredients.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours until reaching a semi-soft consistency, allowing slight melting for optimal texture before serving.
- For a less intense version, reduce the quantity of chocolate chips and pistachios during the final churning stage.
Notes
- Swap dairy for lactose-free alternatives like almond milk and dairy-free ricotta for a sensitive stomach friendly version.
- Reduce sugar content by using monk fruit sweetener or stevia for a lower-calorie dessert option.
- Crush cannoli shells finely to distribute flavor evenly throughout the ice cream and prevent large hard pieces.
- Toast pistachios beforehand to enhance their nutty flavor and add a deeper, more complex taste profile to the ice cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 368 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 106 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 86 mg