"Don't Forget the Cannoli " Cream

I don't know why you don't see more cannoli cream around. You do see it, of course, in cannoli. Mostly, I don't make cannoli at home. On the rare occasions I treat myself, I usually forgo the personal involvement with hot fat, and buy a few cannoli at one of the two Italian groceries in Bloomfield where they fill them to order, put them in a little white cardboard box, and tie it with string. (I do actually own a set of cannoli tube molds, which shows you what a nutcase I truly am. I have not used them often, and when I do get them out, it's mostly to make brandy snaps.)

But you can do other excellent things with cannoli cream. Mix it with some berries or other fruit in a dessert glass, turn a horizontally split pound cake into a yummy cassata (fill with c.c. and frost with some more, or some marzipan, or a chocolate ganache), or spoon it into little bowls for your guests to dip their cookies; it is so good. I'm sure you can think of other wonderful things to do with it-especially since it's so easy to make.

Perhaps if I share the recipe, you will give me some more good ideas for using it.

Cannoli Cream
Ricotta 3 cups
thick cut marmalade, best quality 1/2 cup
good bitterweet chocolate 4 oz, broken up
triple sec 3 tbsps

In food processor, grate chocolate. Turn grated chocolate out into a bowl. It is not necessary to wash the bowl of the processor. Change to metal blade. Add ricotta and triple sec and process until smooth. Add marmalade. Pulse 10 times. Dump mixture into bowl with grated chocolate, and mix chocolate in thoroughly. Chill several hours.

There you are. A fine confection, and no trouble. If you make it at home, for yourself and your own Family, it poses no danger whatever.

Comments

[mzn]

I have never made cannoli or cannoli cream but I think if I had any of this chocolate-cheese-marmalade-liqueur mixture on hand I would eat it with a spoon, all of it.

It's such a pity that plastic packaging has replaced the white box tied with a string. Oh what a world!

[zp]

i like hearing about creative new uses for ricotta myself.

[Bakerina]

And here I thought that I was the only one who would leave the shells and take the cannoli cream. :) I love that cassata idea.

(Now I'm entertaining fantasies of moving to Bloomfield. Mmmm, Bloomfield. :)

[amy]

Sentences like this are why I read your blog, Lindy:

*I usually forgo the personal involvement with hot fat.*

Hilarious. Thanks for the recipe, too.

[Kimberly]

Just when I was thinking that I needed a recipe for those jars of thick-cut marmalade languishing in my cellar...

This sounds just lovely, Lindy. I've always liked the cream better than the cannoli shells, too.

[Brady]

I had my very first Cannoli last week!? I have been thinking about it ever since! Thank you for the easy and yummo cream recipe.

[lindy]

You're welcome, Brady. Your first cannoli? You 've got some catching up to do cannoli-wise, better start right away!

Good luck with your new venture-I've been checking out your blog.

[mdessy]

Just when I needed a good recipe for a ricotta topping I wanted to make. Thank you! I'm going to try it with a ginger marmelade, should be wonderful.

[Veronica]

You can ask staff from Dulces & Ideas
at www.e-dulces.com for cannoli recipies and cannoli filling