Tiramisu Cannoli: An Italian Hybrid Dessert Recipe

Cannoli are delicious Italian treats from the region of Sicily. It's hard to pin down their origins, but it's known that in 70 B.C., the ancient Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote of a dessert made from a flour cylinder filled with a sweet, milk-based filling. Cannoli have been around for centuries and surely morphed over the years, and now various types of this decadent, sweet dessert are available in Sicily, all over Italy, and in many parts of the world. Cannoli can be found in Italian bakeries in the United States (try ordering one cannolo and see what happens, as that's the singular form of the plural Italian word cannoli), and cannoli filling can easily be made at home.

While there's nothing like traditional Sicilian cannoli, cooks abroad sometimes draw inspiration from fusion cuisine to create something new. Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for tiramisu cannoli that blends elements from traditional cannoli and tiramisu, an Italian coffee-flavored dessert. A small quantity of strong espresso is added to the filling to give it a signature taste and a darker color. Rather than a ricotta-only filling, this cannoli filling also contains mascarpone and freshly whipped cream to channel the rich and creamy elements of tiramisu. The filling makes just enough for eight cannoli, so don't go overboard with the taste testing. We promise that waiting for the delicious finished result will be worth it.

For this recipe, you will first need instant espresso powder. You can substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of instant coffee if needed, or you can use 2 ¼ tablespoons of strong chilled espresso instead of a powder. Gather heavy cream, cornstarch, drained ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder for the cannoli filling. You'll also need cannoli shells. These can be found in some supermarkets. You could also ask a local bakery if they sell empty shells. Finally, chocolate chips are an optional ingredient you can use to garnish the cannoli if desired.

Place a mixing bowl and the beaters from an electric mixer in the freezer to chill for 10-15 minutes.

Dissolve the espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons hot water. Set aside to cool completely, about 5 minutes.

Place the heavy cream in the cold bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the cream and continue to beat on medium until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Place the drained ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and cooled espresso in a second mixing bowl and stir gently until evenly combined, breaking up any lumps with a fork.

Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a round tip or a zip top bag with a hole cut into one corner.

Pipe the filling into each side of the cannoli shells, filling the middle first and making the filling even with the ends of the shells.

Dust the cannoli first with cocoa powder and then with powdered sugar. Decorate the ends with optional chocolate chips, if using.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

We know making desserts from scratch is more time-consuming than buying them ready-made, but there's one important step you shouldn't skip when making homemade cannoli: draining the ricotta beforehand. This will remove excess liquid from the ricotta so the filling isn't runny and the shells don't get soggy.

To drain ricotta, spoon it into a strainer and place the strainer over a bowl, making sure the lip of the strainer hooks over the edge of the bowl so it doesn't fall in. The bowl should also be tall enough to ensure the strainer doesn't touch the liquid that will pool at the bottom. Press the ricotta into the strainer in an even layer with the back of a spoon. Place a bowl or something heavy on top of the ricotta to press it down and help it drain faster. You can cover the ricotta with plastic wrap first, but it's not necessary. Set the whole thing aside in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight. 

After that time has passed, remove the weight, and press the ricotta with the back of a spoon again to strain out any remaining excess liquid. Discard the drained liquid. The ricotta will now be ready to use in your recipe.

Standard cannoli have a fried shell made from flour, lard, sugar, and wine, and a filling made from ricotta and sugar. Sometimes the inside of the shell is lined with melted chocolate to keep it crispy. Keep in mind there's one essential ingredient to Sicilian cannoli — sheep's milk ricotta, which is common in Italy, but not in the United States. It's rich and dense and more flavorful than cow's milk ricotta, and has an extra tang. Cannoli filling ingredients can vary; for example, some people add vanilla, chocolate chips, candied fruit, or chopped nuts.

Cannoli are made slightly differently throughout Sicily. The town of Piana degli Albanesi, near Palermo, is credited as having the best cannoli of all of Sicily (and thus in the world). These are known for their especially large shells and generous serving of filling. Cannoli from the city of Palermo are often distinguished by a candied cherry adorning each end, and those from the city of Catania are decorated with finely chopped pistachios.

In the city of Ragusa, cannoli are made with cow's milk ricotta instead of the standard sheep's milk variety, so the filling doesn't have as bold a taste. In Messina, you can find cannoli with a dark brown filling due to dark cocoa powder mixed in with the ricotta. Chocolate is often mixed with hazelnuts in Italy, and that delicious taste combination is used here as well, as cannoli from Messina are often garnished with finely chopped hazelnuts.