Pizzelle Cannoli with Ricotta filling

Pizzelle Cannoli with Ricotta Filling, a delicious alternative to traditional cannoli.  Especially when you want to enjoy your cannoli in a hurry!

Pizzelle Cannoli with Ricotta Filling, another of my favorite ricotta filled desserts!  Some of you may be thinking that nothing can replace your traditional cannoli shells. Of course I will agree with you, especially since cannoli are my favorite Sicilian dessert. In fact you’ll find my mother’s authentic Sicilian Cannoli recipe on my blog.

While I’m all for maintaining tradition, I’m definitely open to variations on recipes that I love.  Let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t have the time to roll out the dough for cannoli shells.  You may also be trying to be more health conscious and don’t want to do as much frying.

It was my mother who first introduced me to this shortcut for making cannoli a few years ago. You have all the flavor of cannoli you love with less work.  And, they do look quite pretty as well!

What are pizzelle?

Pizzelle are flat, crisp waffle like cookies made in an iron which is similar to a waffle iron. They are quite affordable and you can find a link at the bottom of this post for a pizzelle iron.  I purchased one for my mother’s birthday a few years ago and the return has been quite advantageous!  I recently joined her for a pizzelle cannoli making session.

How to make pizzelle:

Make the pizzelle batter by combining all the ingredients listed in the recipe below in one bowl.

Preheat the pizzelle maker and pour the batter very much in the same way that you would make waffles.  Wait a minute and remove the pizzelle when they are golden in colour.

Shaping pizzelle into cannoli shells:

The trick to making these pizzelle shells is to roll them right away when you remove them from the iron. They harden quite rapidly so you will probably only be able to roll one out of every 2 pizzelle. That is unless you have an assistant!

My mother uses these bamboo cannoli dowels to shape the pizzelle. These are what she uses to make the traditional fried shells.  Stainless steel versions are also available on Amazon. In my research I came across some sites that suggest you cut off pieces of a wooden broom handle, which you would have to probably sand before using.

To fill the pizzelle:

My filling of choice, of course, is ricotta but custard is another option.  In order to prevent soggy pizzelle, I recommend that you fill them right before serving.  The shells will keep in a well sealed container, in a cool dry place for weeks.

Simply scoop your filling in a pastry bag, then pipe the ricotta into both ends of the shells. If you don’t have a pastry bag, a freezer bag with the tip snipped off will work as well. Finally, dust with powdered sugar and serve!

Tips and suggestions:

• The recipe calls for Anisette liqueur but Sambuca may also be substituted.  Another alternative would be anise extract.  Use between 1-2 teaspoons of extract.
• Be sure to roll the pizzelle immediately when removing them from the pizzelle iron as they begin to harden right away.
• Fill the pizzelle shells with ricotta filling right before serving otherwise they will become soggy.

I think you’ll agree that these are a perfect variation on traditional cannoli. Give them a try and if you do, please don’t forget to take a photo and tag me with #mangiabedda on Instagram and Facebook. Buon appetito! 

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