Holy Cannoli! 6 Easy Twists on Your Favorite Italian Dessert

From left to right: Pumpkin-Pepita Crunch, Mochaccino Sundae, Spiked Lemon, Dark Cherry-Chocolate, Zesty Fruit & Nut, Tropical Rum Cake
Photography by Linda Xiao
The secret to easy homemade cannoli? Store-bought shells. Stuff them with any of these super-tasty fillings to make them your own.
Start Here!
First, choose your twist. In a medium bowl, gently fold 1 cup fresh ricotta, 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, and the fold in ingredients (see below). Spoon the ricotta mixture into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, pushing the mixture down into 1 corner of the bag. Snip a 1/2-inch hole in the corner. Pipe the ricotta mixture into 4 store-bought cannoli shells that are about 5 inches long. Add the garnish ingredients. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Makes 4.
Bonus: Fancy up your cannoli by dipping the ends in melted chocolate. Let rest on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until the chocolate sets before you add your filling.
1. Pumpkin-Pepita Crunch
Fold in: 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Garnish: salted roasted pepitas
2. Mochaccino Sundae
Fold in: 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 tsp. instant espresso
Garnish: chopped maraschino cherries
3. Spiked Lemon
Fold in: 2 tbsp. limoncello (lemon liqueur)
Garnish with: lemon zest
4. Dark Cherry-Chocolate
Fold in: 1/4 cup drained Luxardo cherries, chopped and 1/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate
Garnish with: grated dark chocolate
5. Zesty Fruit & Nut
Fold in: 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries, 1 tsp. orange zest, and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Garnish with: chopped roasted salted pistachios
6. Tropical Rum Cake
Fold in: 2 tbsp. pineapple jam, 2 tbsp. golden raisins, chopped, 2 tsp. rum, and 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
Garnish with: toasted sweetened shredded coconut and chopped dried papaya