Cannoli Filling Recipe

Cannoli Filling Recipe

A great cannoli filling recipe can go from simply filling cannoli to making a fabulous fruit dessert.

Low Fat Never Tasted So Good

Ricotta cheese is one of the most versatile cheeses you can find. From appetizer to entrée to desert, ricotta travels across your menu with style, but where ricotta cheese really shines out is in cannoli. Any cannoli filling recipe will feature ricotta, which is a naturally low fat cheese similar to cottage cheese but lighter in flavor and texture.

Cannoli filling, sometimes called cannoli cream, is one of those recipes that start out very basic but can be altered according to the baker's tastes. The most basic cannoli filling recipe is ricotta, sugar, and a touch of vanilla extract. That's all you need for a tasty filling, but who wants plain when fancy is just a spice rack away.

Cannoli Filling Recipe

In order to prepare your ricotta properly, you will need to drain it. There are several ways to drain ricotta, the most effective method is to take a fine meshed strainer and line it with cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a bowl and cover the whole set-up with plastic wrap. Place a plate over the ricotta and then place a weight, like a can of food, on the plate. Put the whole thing in your refrigerator and let it sit for 8 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid.

For those of you who are in a bit of a rush, you can take two strips of double layered cheesecloth and place them across a bowl. Place the ricotta in the center of the cheesecloth and collect the ends of the cloth to form a bundle. Squeeze as much water out of the ricotta as you can.

Regardless as to which method you use, make sure you get as much liquid out of the cheese as you can or the excess moisture will make your cannoli shells soggy. This recipe makes four cups of filling.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of ricotta cheese, well drained
• 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg
• 2 ounces of mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place the ricotta in the bowl of your stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add the vanilla and whatever spice you want to use.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chips.
5. This can be held for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
6. Since any cannoli filling recipe will cause your cannoli shell to get soggy eventually, it is best to fill your cannoli shells no more than four hours before serving them.

Tips and Hints

• You can also use your cannoli filling to fill cream puffs.
• If you have some martini glasses handy, you can layer the cannoli filling with fresh fruit to make an attractive and refreshing dessert.
• Be sure to use confectioners sugar because it will dissolve better in the ricotta. Regular granulated sugar will give your filling a grainy feeling.
• Mascarpone cheese can be used as a substitute for ricotta in this recipe but it will not have to be drained.
• Candied orange zest can be added to the filling for an extra bit of flavor.