Holy cannoli!

There is an Italian deli/bakery pretty close to the office, and they have some fabulous things on the menu.  But one thing I NEVER leave without, is some cannoli.  On a good day (if I'm being good), it is only a single mini cannolo (cannoli is actually the plural form of the word).  I could eat much more.  And if you have never had the pleasure of consuming cannoli...SHAME ON YOU!  Anywho, I just came across this recipe for the easiest do-it-yourself cannoli, aside from buying the kit at Costco.  Those are good too.  So if you know how to make pie crust, and if you know how to mix a few ingredients together, you too can share the goodness that is cannoli.

Mini Cannoli cream cups

1 recipe pie dough - or you can buy the refrigerated pre-made kind
3 T sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

1 (15 oz.) container whole-milk Ricotta cheese (if you're going to eat cannoli it has to be fattening.  Sorry.)
1/2 c. powdered sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on finished product
2 T sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
(if you care to add a smidgen of orange extract you can do that as well)
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

To allow for adequate chilliness of cream, make it first and let it chill in the refrigerator.
Mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips in your favorite electric mixer.  Or if you haven't worked out in awhile, you can feel free to mix it by hand.  Go for it.  Mix until creamy, then transfer to a pastry bag or large ziplock bag.

Preheat oven to 425.  Break out the pie dough and roll until nice and thin - like a pie.  Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the dough, then roll it in for good measure.  Take a 3" circle cookie cutter or drinking glass (approximate diameter), and press into the dough, creating circles.  With the cinnamon sugar side up, gently press each dough circle into an ungreased mini muffin/cupcake pan to create a nice little cup.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cups are nice and crispy, golden brown in color.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.  Remove your filling from the ice box and prepare to pipe.  Fill the cups as you see fit, then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar.  Cannoli is frequently topped with chopped pistachios or maraschino cherries.  Yuck to the cherries, hello to the pistachios!  And the chocolate.

Don't fill the cups too far in advance to serving or they run the risk of becoming soggy.  Eat, and enjoy!