I did not grow up eating Italian food. Crepes with spinach and roasted chicken? Yes. Stuffed shells with a homemade marinara sauce? No. And to be honest, I didn’t find Italian food that appealing. For a long time, I much prefered a crusty loaf of homemade bread over a bowl of pasta.
Ryan, however, did grow up eating Italian food, and his love for the ubiquitous cuisine has slowly rubbed off on me. We’re celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday night, and what are we making? Pasta with shrimp and mussels. I credit my growing affection for Italian food to both Ryan…and a few Italian restaurants I’ve had the privilege of eating at over the last few years. Because good Italian food can make anyone a convert. And I’m not talking about the Olive Garden.
One of the many classic Italian dishes my husband loves is the cannoli. A deep fried pastry shell stuffed with ricotta cheese and a drizzle of chocolate. Most anyone can get behind a dessert like this. Unfortunately, a good cannoli can be hard to find. Either the shell is soggy, the cheese isn’t fresh, or the chocolate tastes stale. There’s nothing sadder than biting into a bad cannoli (well, that’s not necessarily true, but it is still sad).
I wanted to make Ryan a cannoli this weekend, but didn’t feel too eager to get out my frying pan and set off the smoke detector again. So I did what I do best: I made a tart. And these cannoli tarts are just as delicious as the best cannoli you’ll find in New York City (again, this might be a stretch…but really, they’re still very very good). I used a mini cupcake pan to make the tarts, but a standard muffin pan would work just as well. The filling is made with a combination of ricotta and mascarpone cheese. By adding mascarpone the filling becomes even creamier and richer. And for chocolate? Well, I just sprinkled a few chocolate chips on the top of each little tart. Pretty tasty.
So enjoy the recipe. And in honor of the cannoli’s color scheme, here are a few of my favorite black and white picks for little girls.
Cannoli Tarts
Yields 15-20 mini tarts
1 package refrigerated pie crust (or make your own favorite double-crust recipe)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese (whole milk)
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, the mascarpone cheese, the powdered sugar, and the vanilla extract. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to chill for at least 2-3 hours (to be honest, I wasn’t that patient…they still turned out fine! But the filling will appear thicker the longer it chills).
Roll out pie dough on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be slightly thinner than if you were making a standard pie. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and granulated sugar. Lightly roll rolling pin across the surface to press the cinnamon sugar into the dough. Using a 2.5 or 3 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out circles and press pastry into mini muffin tins, making mini pastry cups. Once complete, allow these cups to chill for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake chilled tart shells for 10-15 minutes, or until just lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Use a spoon or a piping bag to fill each cooled pastry cup with the filling mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and serve immediately.
These little tarts are so pretty, delicate and I bet delicious! Happy 4th anniversary, you two! These tarts look perfect for celebrating together. So glad you’ve come around to Italian food, Monet! I need to cook a big Italian meal for you next time you come to Austin. 😉
Yes Georgia! You know I would be all over a homemade Italian meal at your house.
I actually like your idea very much, as I would never get the frying pan for the authentic version. It seems like a recipe for burnt fingers and frustration… 🙂
Happy Anniversary! enjoy it!
Nice recipe! I love cannoli too, they are from Sicily and when I was there 3 years ago I ate many… they were so delicious. We also have many pies filled with ricotta so I think this recipe is real Italian.
Ciao
Yum- my husband will love these. We were engaged over a cannoli 🙂
How sweet Elizabeth! We got engaged right after Ryan had his appendix removed. Haha. We don’t typically eat hospital food to celebrate 🙂
Cannoli tarts!? Wow, you are a genius, those sound SO amazing!! I don’t have cannolis too often but man these look good!
I’m with Ryan, Italian meals were often on a table when I was a child. Cannoli tarts sound delicious, I have to try it 🙂 And happy anniversary to you guys!
These mini-cannolis look so delicious!! I can’t wait to try them. I had my first cannoli in Little Italy in New York, when I was in my mid-late 20’s, and it was TO DIE FOR. I can’t wait to try these. 🙂 Happy Anniversary to y’all!!! Matt and I have our anniversary on Wednesday, too. We are lucky to have such awesome men in our lives. Of course, we’re pretty awesome, too!! Happy Monday!
I never thought I liked cannoli until I had an actual, delicious, well-made one in Boston several years back. Then I new what I was missing! Your mini-tart version looks adorable and so tasty. I can see these being the perfect bite-sized desserts for a buffet or shower. I’m sure Ryan loved them! 🙂
I didn’t grow up eating Italian food but learned to love it as an adult. And what’s not to love about these little tarts! Yum. 🙂
These tarts are perfect, everything looks so delicious 😀
Cheers
CCU
wow! these look incredible!!
I luuurrrve Italian food (although it can totally be done badly-like Olive Garden, blech). And I totally agree about how disappointing a bad cannoli is!
These look PERFECT! Yummersss
Monet, I love a good cannoli. And yes, they can be hard to find! These cannoli tarts sound SO stinking good. I wish I was in your kitchen drinking espresso and eating one of these tiny delicacies! Happy Monday lady!
Happy Anniversary to you both, and wishing you many blessed years ahead! These cannoli tarts look good, have never heard of them before but cheese and chocolate do go so well together.
Oh man I have grown to love cannolis. They are a favorite of my husband too. Great mini dessert!
Monet,
Happy Anniversary to you and Ryan, and many more. I didn’t grow up with Italian food, either, but have come to love it. Scott and I love pasta with seafood.
Your little Cannoli tarts are gorgeous, and much easier to make than the originals. We will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary at the end of the month:)
Happy 4th anniversary! I love a good cannoli and I know your tarts will be delicious. I was and still am a big fan of Italian food but my family not so much. It’s so funny about Olive Garden because Greg and I poke fun at it when it’s mentioned. I think their salad is the best thing they have going for them. Ha! Have a great week!
Congrats on your fourth anniversary!
Happy 4th anniversary, my friend! Your sweet little tarts are the perfect way to celebrate. Wishing you many more years of bliss. xo
What a great idea! I rarely fry anything and this sounds like a much easier, healthier version of the cannoli. Adore the mini size too. Happy anniversary!
Happy anni!!!
I totally grew up eating Italian food (LOVE it) and I LOVE these cannoli tarts! Such a cute idea, my dear!
happy anniversary. I love Italian food, but I don’t have a favorite Italian dessert, I like the food more. OMG… you should be resting, you are like due any day now. Hope all is well. Love the look of these cannolis.
I should hope you’re not talking about Olive Garden! 🙂 Cannolis are some of the greatest pastries out there. I remember how great they were fresh from the little bakeries in Cleveland’s Little Italy when I lived there in college. (Okay, I lived in the dorms, but it was Cleveland, I promise!) These little tarts sound amazing–and certainly easier than deep frying. Have a very happy anniversary!
We love Italian food around here! Especially cannoli. I think these might have to go on the menu for mother’s day!
And happy anniversary darling!
Ooh, I love cannolis (I did grow up eating a lot of italian food) but have never tried making them myself. Love the idea of making ’em into tarts. And happy anniversary, friend! Our 2-year anniversary was last week. =) Great couples get married ’round this time of year. =)
Ah, what a good solution! I’ve never been able to convince myself that buying those metal cannoli form things was a good investment, and I love Italian food so much. If I weren’t married, I would eat pasta every night of my life.
what a brilliant idea! I love cannoli but they’ve always seemed too difficult these look absolutely perfect and completely achievable too!
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I have never made cannoli because with an authentic Sicilian MIL who makes the best homemade cannoli true to the original recipe with her grandmother’s wooden “canne” and using just real sheep ricotta, how could I? These however look like a good compromise (although I may skip the mascarpone). Thanks for the idea!
This page certainly has all the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
my website – Vernon Enslen