Cannoli Cookies
A while back, I made these incredibly soft ricotta cookies that were out of this world, but now I wanted to try giving those cookies a bit of a twist using the classic flavors of cannoli like chocolate, pistachio, and a bit of spice. My plan is to do a spiced ricotta cookie topped with a chocolate icing and some chopped pistachios that will hopefully deliver a large burst of flavor and texture.
The only part of the cannoli these cookies will be lacking will be that crunchy fried shell, but I think these will be so good that you might end up forgetting about it.
Makes about 20 cookies
For the Cookies:
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
7 ounces of whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
For the Icing:
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate, melted
2-3 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of chopped shelled, salted pistachios, for topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice until combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, ricotta, and sugar together on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined, then add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
Scoop and roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then lay onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the inside is still very soft. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, beat the powdered sugar, chocolate, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla until a thick, smooth icing forms, adding a bit more milk if necessary. Once cooled, spread a thin layer of the icing onto each cookie then finish with chopped pistachios.
Wow, these cookies are amazing! The cookies themselves have a very soft, light texture with a hint of spice, but then that deep chocolate glaze comes in to provide some richness and depth and then, like the perfect sprinkles, those crunchy and slightly salty pistachios tie the whole thing together. Matter of fact, these make those store bought iced sugar cookies taste like garbage.
While they may be lacking the crunchy cannoli shell, they are definitely tasty cookies that I would strongly recommend you make as soon as possible.
