Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 container (15 oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cannoli Cups:
1 box (2 count) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Garnish:
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios
Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare the Pie Crusts:
Lightly flour a work surface and unroll the pie crusts.
Sprinkle both of the pie crusts with turbinado sugar and cinnamon.
Gently roll a rolling pin over the top to press the sugar and cinnamon into the dough.
Using a 2½-inch round cookie/biscuit cutter, cut out pastry rounds.
Gently press each pastry round into ungreased mini muffin cups. You may need to re-roll the scraps and cut out more circles until you have 48 circles.
Bake:
Bake the crusts for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Allow the cannoli cups to cool completely in the pans (about 15 minutes) before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the ricotta, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, zest, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Transfer the filling to a 1-gallon zip-top resealable bag and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble the Cannoli Cups:
Just before serving, remove the filling from the refrigerator.
Snip one corner off of the bag and pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry cup.
Sprinkle the filled cups with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios and dust with powdered sugar.
Serve:
Serve the cannoli cups immediately for best taste and texture.
