Unholy Cannoli

Unless you're trying to treat a friend from Southern Italy who's very proud of their cannoli, there's no reason not to enjoy this faster, lighter, "cheater" version. We trade the traditional fried dough for an easier crispy wafer cookie, which produces a different texture but very similar flavor profile. Feel free to garnish the ends with pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts, dress them up a bit with some drizzled chocolate, or simply dust powdered sugar over.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 335 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 large egg white
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, packed, or more as needed
• ⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate
• ¼ cup chopped pistachio nuts (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Transfer ricotta cheese to fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let drain, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (such as Silpat™) and brush with 1 teaspoon melted butter.

Step 3

For the shells, place flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, 1 tablespoon melted butter, Marsala wine, and egg white in a bowl. Mix with a whisk until very smooth, relatively thin, and spreadable.

Step 4

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter per shell onto the prepared baking sheet. Swirl batter gently with the back of the spoon from the center outwards to create a fairly thin flat circle about 6 inches in diameter. You should be able to fit 2 per pan.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are browned and centers have golden brown spots, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 6

While shells are baking, make a few molds by twisting pieces of aluminum foil into 7-inch long cylinders about 2 inches thick.

Step 7

While shells are still hot, quickly roll each around a foil mold to form a tube, seam-side down. Press each tube gently with a spatula for a few seconds until cool enough to hold its shape. Repeat with remaining batter, baking and shaping in batches; let shells cool completely.

Step 8

For the filling, mix drained ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, orange zest, lemon zest, dark chocolate, and honey together with a spatula. Transfer into a plastic pastry or zip-top bag and cut off one corner.

Step 9

Pipe the filling into one end of a shell until it comes out slight from the opening, and then turn and fill the other end. Garnish both ends of exposed cheese filling with chopped pistachios. Serve within the next hour or two while cannoli remain crispy.