Is there anything more delicious than a ricotta cannoli? A classic Sicilian dessert, cannoli are tubular fried dough filled with a smooth and creamy ricotta filling. Purchasing pre-made shells saves hours of time in the kitchen, not to mention that by not having to fry the shells, the clean-up is a snap. There’s no shame in getting a little help in the kitchen occasionally. Let’s call it semi-homemade, shall we? Amazon has several options for shells of different sizes. You can also check your local grocery store’s bakery department too, as they will likely have them and sell you some empty shells to fill at home. Because the filling has only a few key ingredients, purchase the best ricotta, which is made from whole milk only. Bel Gioioso is my preferred brand when I made these at home, Dragone also works.

Cannoli are best enjoyed immediately upon filling, so prepare the cream when you’re done with dinner and ready to serve dessert. You can also prepare the cream beforehand, refrigerate it, and hold off on filling the shells until you’re ready to serve. You can refrigerate them for up to one day, but expect the shell to get soggy. 

Ingredients

½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
4 cups whole milk ricotta
8 large cannoli shells (or about 20 miniature shells)
16 maraschino cherries (optional)
½ cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)
Crushed pistachios (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whip the whipping cream and sugar using the whisk attachment of the mixer. Mix until fully whipped and stiff, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the ricotta to the whipped cream and gently fold the ricotta into the cream using a rubber spatula. Mix just until combined, do not over mix.
3. Using a pastry bag or a plastic freezer bag with the tip cut off, pipe the cream into the shells. Decorate with crushed pistachios, as they do in Sicily, or decorate with a half maraschino cherry at the end, or dip the end of each cannoli into miniature chocolate chips, if desired. Add to serving platter and dust with additional  powdered sugar.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a max of 1 day.