Cute as Buttons - Cannoli Made in Cups

I saw a photo and got an idea. Cannoli Cups. 

I really hate deep frying anything. And so have never made cannoli. I have nothing against them in concept, though I am not totally sure I have ever eaten any. But if they could be made in tiny mini muffin tins, then they could be baked. Aha!

Cannoli Cups

Sill waffling, I looked at recipes, seeing what constitutes cannoli dough. And then, wondering if  the dough was made and set it into mini muffin tins, would it shrink? So finally I got down to creating a recipe. As usual, I read countless recipes online. I looked for what constituted true cannoli dough. Ideas, ideas and more ideas. Once I created a recipe plan that sounded good, I made the dough one evening just before dinner. It went into the fridge to chill while we ate dinner, and after dinner I got it out and set about testing. 

My first piece of dough was rolled out as thinly as I could get it, and believe me, it tends to spring back, so it needs to be thin. I cut out circles with a three-inch biscuit cutter and set two little discs of dough into two wells (sprayed with nonstick spray, just in case) of my mini muffin tin. I baked them, primarily to see how they would fare. Maybe if they shrunk too much I would have to turn the mini muffin tin upside down and lay the little disc of dough over the upturned well, rather than set it inside. But actually, they came out just fine, without too much shrinkage. So, I proceeded with the remainder of the dough.

Let me just say that these little cups, even before filling them with the ricotta cream, were just delightful. They had amazing flavors. I am tempted to make the dough and use it for crisp cookies!

One thing I had concern over was that the cups be strong enough to stand up to the wet, creamy filling. Granted, these cannot be filled too far in advance and still expect the cups to be crisp. But for a reasonable amount of time, I hoped they would hold up. And they did.

What Makes Cannoli Dough?

When looking through recipes, it appeared there were a few "constants" in making cannoli dough.

1. All the recipes used cinnamon.
2. Most of the recipes used unsweetened cocoa powder.
3. All recipes (that were true to the spirit of things) called for Marsala wine.
4. Most recipes called for vinegar in addition to the wine. 
5. All the recipes I read used egg in the dough.
6. Most recipes called for butter.
7. One recipe said no true Sicilian grandmother would use butter, but instead would use lard both in the dough and for frying the cannoli. 

Cannoli Cups

Okay, so some of these "constants" sounded good. Others, not as much.

Marsala Wine and Substitutes

One of my first stumbling blocks was the use of Marsala wine. I love wine. But the only time I tasted Marsala was a very long time ago, and to me it tasted like medicine. Granted, it may have been a cheap version of Marsala, but I have a hard time thinking of going out to buy a bottle just to use 2 tablespoons worth in cannoli dough. Instead, I went Googling to see what would be a good substitute for Marsala. There were many suggestions:

• Use Sherry. Though Sherry has its own unique flavor profile, and is not like Marsala at all, it can be used.
• Use a red wine such as Pinot Noir.
• Combine white grape juice with a tablespoon of brandy.
• Use Madeira, which has a very similar flavor profile to Marsala. 

Hurray! I had Madeira in the fridge!  

I opted to use cocoa and cinnamon, plus the addition of a little coffee powder. I like Starbuck's "Via" instant coffee, both for flavor and ease of dissolving. I used Madeira wine and white wine vinegar and the obligatory egg. And I used lard. 

What Next? Embellishments

The Dough      -      Before Baking, fitting in mini muffin tins      -      Baked and Rimmed

Okay, I had a recipe. And I also had other ideas. Seeing photos of cannoli online, some had ends dipped in chocolate. Some had ends dipped in chocolate and chopped nuts. Some had no chocolate dipped ends, but had little mini chocolate chips sprinkled onto the filling.

I decided that to make my little cannoli cups attractive, I would melt some chocolate and dip the rims in the melted chocolate. I also decided to chop some unsalted pistachios and dip half of the chocolate dipped rims into the nuts. 

And the Final Touch: the Filling

Every recipe I read online said that the filling was ricotta. Some mixed Mascarpone cheese with the ricotta. Most said that the ricotta had to be drained, preferably 3 to 5 hours, if not more, or else the filling would be too runny. I bought Sargento brand full fat ricotta. I set it into a strainer, as I would do for yogurt. It went into the fridge overnight. In the morning I had just about a whole teaspoon of liquid that had seeped out. 

I cannot believe that one teaspoon of liquid would make the filling too runny. Maybe other brands are more moist, but my container of Sargento was pretty good, as is.

I did use a bit more mascarpone to ricotta ratio than called for in any recipe I read. I love mascarpone. The ricotta and mascarpone mixed together with a little confectioners' sugar was absolutely perfect and made the best little cannoli cups imaginable. 

Cannoli Cups

Cannoli Cups

Makes about 50 to 60 cups

DOUGH:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coffee powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lard
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) white vinegar
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Marsala, Madeira or Pinot Noir wine
1 large egg, whisked to mix

TO ADORN:
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
⅓ cup chopped unsweetened pistachios

FILLING:
16 ounces full fat ricotta cheese, drained at least 3 - 5 hours
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
¾ cup confectioners' sugar

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a mixing bowl, combine the first six dry ingredients and stir to combine. Cut in the lard, and once combined, lift the mixture and slide it between the palms, making flaky looking bits in the bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg with the vinegar and wine of choice. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and toss to combine, as for pie dough. Once it begins to hold together, form a ball, flatted, wrap tightly and chill for at least an hour or up to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the wells of mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Using about half the dough at a time, on a floured surface, roll the dough as thinly as possible. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut little rounds of dough and set them into the wells of the prepared mini muffin tin, pressing down into the edges. Bake the cups for about 10 to 12 minutes, until crisp.

TO ADORN: While the cups bake, set the chocolate chips in a wide bowl and microwave on a few short bursts of 20 to 25 seconds, until they melt. Set the chopped nuts in another wide bowl. Once baked, remove the cannoli cups from the pan and cool them only until of a temperature to handle, one to two minutes. Invert one cup into the melted chocolate, set upright on a rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remainder. For some of these, after dipping the rims in chocolate, dip also in the nuts. Set them aside to cool and harden.

MAKE AND FILL: Set the ricotta and mascarpone cheeses on the counter for an hour to make them easier to mix. Spoon both cheeses into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Beating is not necessary. Once the cheese are combined, add the confectioners' sugar and stir thoroughly.

The cups can be filled with small spoons. Sprinkle on mini chocolate chips or more chopped nuts, if desired. If you have piping bags and tips, I used #823 open star tip from Ateco. Fill the piping bag and pipe like ice cream in cone. 

NOTE: Depending on how many cups you manage from the recipe, and how much you fill the cups, you may need a slightly larger amount of the filling.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Chocolate Pie Crust with Chocolate Mousse and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

If the title sounds good, I wish you could have tasted the actual pie. If you like chocolate, this is most certainly the pie for you. While I am not crazy-fond of chocolate, having it sometimes is nice. Our friend Rich is a real chocoholic, and this pie was created with him in mind as he and his significant other, Heidi, were here over the Fourth of July. The Chocolate Pie Pastry just makes the whole thing come together, though any good pie pastry will do just fine. 
 

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Chocolate Pie Pastry

Chocolate Pie Pastry Blind Baked

For one 9-inch pie shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup shortening or lard
2 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons ice cold vodka

For one 10-inch pie shell:

1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup shortening or lard
4 tablespoons ice water
4 tablespoons ice cold vodka (or use all water)

Stir flour, salt, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening or lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add most of the water or water/vodka and toss with a fork until all flour mixture is moistened and starts to form a ball. If necessary, add remaining liquid to the crumbs in bottom of the bowl. Gather the dough in your hands and gently shape into a ball, then flatten. Chill for 1 hour before using.

To blind bake this crust, preheat oven to 375 degrees, or 350 on Convection Baking. Partially freeze the formed shell, then line it with foil and pie weights. Bake the partially frozen shell for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and pie weights and prick the crust all over with the tip of a knife. Place in oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is well set.  

The Chocolate Mousse recipe is fantastic and would likely serve 8 as individual servings; here the amount makes enough to fill the pie. I used Mascarpone Whipped Cream for this recipe because it holds up perfectly, even over days, without oozing any liquid. It has a wonderful flavor and a heartier texture than plain whipped cream, though plain whipped cream would also work on this pie if it will all be eaten at once. Using this whole recipe as I made it would easily allow making it the day ahead without affecting its freshness. The crust can be made 2 days in advance and covered tightly. This is important with time crunches in holiday food planning.

Chocolate Mocha Mousse

This Chocolate Mousse recipe is so exceedingly simple that it almost seems it couldn't work. There is no cooking involved. The use of unflavored gelatin helps the mousse set up quickly. The only thing needed is a small electric hand mixer, or even an old-fashioned egg-beater if you have a strong enough arm. The mixture is perfect for any time you might need a mousse that works in piping bags as easily as just pouring into a bowl. The texture is creamy and smooth and unctuously rich. 

Pie Shell unbaked left                    |                    Pie Shell baked right

I made the chocolate pie pastry recipe a few days in advance, placing it into a zip-top bag in the refrigerator. The day before making the pie, I rolled out the pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate and crimped the edges high onto the rim. The oven was set to 375 to blind bake the shell. I first set the pie plate with pastry into the freezer for about ½ hour. Taking it from the freezer, I lined it with foil, carefully fitting the foil right up and almost over the crimped edges. I have a heavy "Pie Chain" from King Arthur Flour, so I used that set into the bottom of the foil in the pan. If you do not have a pie chain, use dried beans to weight the bottom. I baked the crust this way for 12 minutes, then removed the foil and weights and pricked little holes all over the crust with the tip of a knife and set it back in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, or until the crust is well set. In this case, one cannot tell if the crust is "golden," as it is too dark chocolate colored to know. Remove from oven and allow the crust to cool completely before filling. Once cooled, it can be covered tightly and stored for one or two days before filling, if needed.

Chocolate Mousse for Pie

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
¼ cup boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand for a few minutes to soften. Add the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside.

Pie filled and smoothed, left |  topped with Mascarpone Whipped Cream, right

In a larger mixing bowl combine the sugar and the cocoa, whisking to combine. Add in the whipping cream and vanilla and beat the mixture with an electric mixer or rotary beater until the cream holds soft peaks. Add in the dissolved gelatin and beat again to distribute evenly.

Pour this mixture into the baked and cooled Chocolate Pie Pastry shell, using a knife or offset spatula to smooth the top and press into the edges of the pastry. Store this pie in the refrigerator once filled.

One slice of Chocolate Mousse Pie

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Topping

Makes about 1½cups

½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
4 ounces mascarpone cheese

Have all utensils very cold by placing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator before use. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Add in the confectioner's sugar and beat again until the cream holds stiff peaks. Add int he mascarpone cheese and beat again only until well combined. Beating too long after adding the mascarpone will make the mixture look curdled.

Spoon or pipe decoratively on top of the pie as desired. It can be dolloped onto the edges and using a spoon, make pretty dips and peaks. I topped each of the piped stars with one chocolate chip.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Pecan Mint Chip Cookies Were a Big Hit

Our holiday guests left this morning, and I have been trying to take stock of all the photos I took of the many foods prepared over this 4th of July holiday. Foods I photographed were Pecan Mint Chip Cookies, Grilled Barbecued Chicken, Chicken Rub, Barbecue Sauce II, Japanese Curly Noodle Salad, Chocolate Mousse Pie, Mascarpone Whipped Cream Topping and Blackberry Cobbler. In with all that I also made another bread from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart, this time a Portuguese Sweet Bread. Over the next days I will be posting all these recipes (except the bread, as it is straight from the book, which I would recommend to everyone who wants to make good breads). 

Pecan Mint Chip Cookies in our Grandma Hromish's casserole

The first recipe I want to post is for the Pecan Mint Chip Cookies I made for our guests Rich and Heidi, when the arrived Friday evening. I used a simple recipe for  chocolate chip cookies, substituting a 10-ounce bag of "Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips" for the bag of chocolate chips in the recipe and using pecan chunks instead of the walnuts I generally prefer. I love mint flavors, like mint chocolate chip ice cream or York Peppermint Patties. If you do not care for mint flavor, obviously you could just use a bag of whatever chocolate chips you prefer. I knew our friend Rich was a big mint fan, as he has had lots of "Peppermint Patty" drinks here in past; hot cocoa with the addition of peppermint schnapps.

Cookie Scoops make perfect sized cookies

In general, Andes candies, though chocolate and mint are not my favorite because it feels like too fake an oily feeling in the mouth. I had this same reaction with some "cinnamon chips" from the grocery once, which is why I much prefer the Cinnamon Flav-r-Bites from the King Arthur Flour site. In these cookies however, the oily mouth feel was absent and all that was apparent was a really mild but still noticeable mint flavor along with the pecans whose flavor also stood out enough to notice. All in all, we all truly enjoyed these cookies and I would make them again in a heartbeat!

Pecan Mint Chip Cookies

Pecan Mint Chip Cookies

Makes about 45 to 60 cookies, depending on size

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coarse-chopped pecans
1 (10-ounce) bag Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 on Convection). In a small bowl sift or whisk together the first three ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter with the two sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time until combined and then the vanilla. Lower the speed of the mixer and add in the dry ingredients just until combined. Add the nuts and mint chips and combine.

Drop the dough from teaspoons or use a cookie scoop, keeping the cookies at least 2 inches apart onto a dry cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for about 9 to 11 minutes, until golden brown.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.