Always Keep Cannoli Cream in the Refrigerator
Whether it’s a slice of cheese for appetizers or a ball of “I Live Alone” ganache , the little treat available at a moment’s notice is good for everyone. The best treats taste great on their own, but also pair well with others for a great snack. Since you can never have too many refrigerated snacks in your diet, here’s another one for your repertoire: a bowl of cannoli cream, ready to be dunked when you need it.
Cream cannoli is basically sweetened ricotta cheese. From there, you can add additional flavors, spices, nuts, or mini chocolate chips to spice up the dish. You would normally fill this rich, smooth and creamy filling with tubular, crunchy fried cannoli shells and immediately transfer them straight to your mouth, but cannoli cream tastes fantastic on a variety of takeaway foods.
To see what I’m talking about, try dipping apple slices in cannoli cream or spreading it on toast, cookies, or donuts. I especially like it when it’s spread over torn pieces of yutiao , which has wide, open air pockets to accommodate large chunks of material. Dip crackers sprinkled with sea salt for a sweet and salty contrast, make cannoli crackers for “deconstructed cannoli” or make it all the way sweet with cookies for an older Dunkaru. The taste of the cream is relatively mild and, depending on additional additives, can go well with almost any flavor of cookies, crackers or cakes. Even without prepared foods to dip, there is always a plan B (eat with a spoon).
For something so magical tasting, cannoli cream is surprisingly easy to make. (Another reason to always keep them on hand.) Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix by hand with a spoon or rubber spatula. No need to bring the ingredients to room temperature, use special tools and cook. The most preparatory work you need to do is probably peel and crush some of the pistachios, but the nuts are optional and you can always buy shelled nuts to avoid the tedious splitting of the pistachio shells.
I love the flavor that ground cinnamon gives to cannoli cream. I consider it indispensable, so I included it in the recipe as a necessary ingredient, but you can omit it or adjust the amount to your liking. Consider chocolate chips, zest and pistachios in the same way. Store this cannoli cream snack in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Cannoli Plain Cream
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese (about 7 ounces)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (optional)
- ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped pistachios (optional)
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Serve with cookies or crackers, as well as pancakes, waffles or toast.