Mini Cannoli Food

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 CREAM CUPS....YUMMMMM

Steps:

• For cups: preheat oven 425 degrees. unroll pie crust on lightly floured surface and sprinkle the tops with the natural sugar and cinnamon. lightly roll over it with rolling pin so that the sugar and cinnamon are pressed into the dough.
• with a 2.5 or 3" round biscuit cookie cutter, cut circles and press them inside an ungreased mini muffin pan to create the pastry cup.
• bake 10 minutes or until cups are golden.remove from oven and allow to cool. once cool, they can be filled.
• for filling: in a large bowl with an electric mixer combine all ingredients except the choc chips and mix well till creamy. place filling in a 1 gal plastic storage bag and chill while you make the cups.
• remove filling from fridge, cut the bottom of corner of bag and pipe a little less then a tablespoon into the cannoli cups. sprinkle with mini choc chips and dust with powdered sugar.
• tips: for a thicker filling, you can strain the ricotta in cheese cloth place in a bowl and covered overnite.
• filling can be made a day or two ahead of time and kept in fridge.
• a variation in the cannolie cream that works well is 1/4 teaspoon almond or orange extract.
• other toppings that go well are chopped toasted almonds, choc sprinkles, candied orange pieces, chopped candied red cherries as well as a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• (i didnt have natural sugar when making these so i just used combo reg sugar and cinnamon).