Description
Craving Italian dessert magic? Mini Cannoli Cups deliver sweet Sicily right to your plate, blending crisp pastry shells with rich ricotta cream. Sweet tooths will adore these bite-sized delights that pack classic flavor into one perfect nibble.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 container (15 ounces / 425 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 box (2 count) refrigerated pie crusts
- 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios
Sweeteners and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation Ingredients:
(None)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F, preparing a mini muffin tin for pastry shells.
- Dust work surface with flour and unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar and cinnamon, gently pressing sugar into dough with rolling pin.
- Use a 2½-inch round cutter to create pastry circles, carefully pressing each into muffin cups. Reroll dough scraps to maximize circle count.
- Bake pastry shells for 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely in tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Whip ricotta with powdered sugar, granulated sugar, citrus zest, and vanilla extract using electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer filling to a zip-top bag and refrigerate until serving time.
- Before serving, pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry shell.
- Garnish filled cups with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.
- Serve immediately to maintain crisp texture and fresh flavor.
Notes
- Swap pie crusts with gluten-free alternatives for celiac or gluten-sensitive guests, ensuring everyone can enjoy this delightful dessert.
- Try ricotta cheese substitutes like mascarpone or cashew cream for those with dairy restrictions, maintaining the creamy texture.
- Control sugar content by using monk fruit sweetener or reducing overall sugar quantity, making the recipe more diabetic-friendly.
- Prepare pastry cups ahead of time and store in an airtight container to streamline party preparation and reduce last-minute stress.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 295 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg