November Daring Bakers: Cannoli

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

These cannoli were absolutely amazing! I made the given recipe for the cannoli shells, filled them with a pumpkin filling, and garnished the ends with chopped pecans. The dough was fairly easy to work with (though I definitely recommend using a pasta machine to roll it out!). Frying the dough was a bit fussy, but not too difficult. The filling, though, is really what made these cannoli shine to me. I made a pumpkin filling with homemade mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, and it was absoultely delicious! I had never made homemade cheese before, but I will definitely be doing it again. It's a big money saver since mascarpone in particular is always extremely pricey at the store. The flavor was also incredible. Especially with the fresh ricotta, it was almost like eating a different cheese than the ricotta available for purchase! Wow. I've pasted the cheese and filling recipes below, and the cannoli recipe and assembly instructions are available from Lisa.


I made the cannoli for a dinner party and they were a huge hit! These really are the perfect fall dessert. A friend of mine who's a New Yorker even said these are the best cannoli he'd ever had! That definitely made me happy...so thanks to our hostess for an awesome recipe! Be sure to check out all the other cannoli this month at The Daring Kitchen.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese (from Baking Obsession)
Makes about 1/2 cup

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating.

2. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir.

3. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese (from Parsley, Sage, Desserts, and Line Drives)
Makes about 1-1/4 cups

4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Line a large strainer or sieve with cheesecloth and place the strainer over a large bowl.

2. In a large pot or saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula.

3. Once the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice all at once. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring gently with a rubber spatula. The mixture will curdle immediately.

4. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined strainer and let drain for an hour or two. Discard the liquid whey and refrigerate the ricotta or use immediately. If you want it really dry, wrap it back up with the cheesecloth, leave it in the strainer over the bowl, weight it down with something heavy, and refrigerate overnight.

Pumpkin Filling

3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the ricotta cheese and canned pumpkin in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl. Fold the cheesecloth over the cheese and pumpkin and weight it down with a couple of cans. Place in the fridge for a few hours of overnight.

2. Place the ricotta and pumpkin in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the mascarpone and beat until the filling is smooth and creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla and blend until smooth. Chill until the filling firms up a bit and then fill cannoli.

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Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This baked mac-and-cheese is creamy, delicious, and has a terrific surprise topping. First: the mac-and-cheese itself. It's perfectly yummy without being overly gooey or buttery (not that those things can't be good sometimes too!). The flavor is a little more interesting than my usual stove-top recipe because it uses a combination of cheddar and swiss cheeses. I found a great package of a pre-grated Swiss-Gruyere blend on sale at the store, which definitely sped things up, but you can use any combination of cheeses that appeals to you.

The topping is what really makes this recipe shine. The method for making flavored breadcrumbs in the food processor is extremely easy and gives excellent results. The crunch from the breadcrumbs and the acid from the sun-dried tomatoes provide the perfect contrast to the mac-and-cheese underneath.

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes (adapted from The Arugula Files, original recipe here)

1 1/2 lbs. rotini pasta (or another short pasta)
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, patted dry
1 1/2 cupa panko
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere and/or Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta until just shy of al dente. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Meanwhile, put shallot into a food processor and pulse until diced. Without removing the shallot, add garlic and pulse until diced. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pulse. Finally, add panko to the food processor and pulse until all ingredients are combined. Set the seasoned breadcrumbs aside until the pasta is finished.
3. When pasta is just shy of al dente, strain and then add it back to hot pan. Immediately add the milk and cheeses, and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spray a large casserole dish with oil. Pour in the pasta. Cover pasta with panko mixture.
5. Bake until top is golden brown (about 8-12 minutes).

BBA Update: Kaiser Rolls with Prosciutto, Havarti, and Dijon Mustard

Despite a lack of posts, I have been slowly but surely plugging along at the BBA Challenge. I lost a big pile of photos when my camera was stolen about a month ago, but I do have a photo that I took with my new camera to share with you! My most recent BBA bread was Kaiser rolls, which were definitely a winner.

These Kaiser rolls are one of my favorite recipes in the book so far. They have that perfect crusty-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside texture that sandwich rolls should have. They also made possibly the best sandwich of all time filled with prosciutto, thinly sliced Havarti, and a bit of Dijon mustard. Amazing!

Also, even though these rolls are knotted by hand, the dough is a dream to work with and actually very easy to shape. I was a little worried about this step (particularly because I was trying to squeeze it in right before I had to leave the house for a meeting), but it was a breeze.

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans

These cookies from Baking Bites are absolutely to-die-for! They have that perfect blend of fall spices, and they're totally addictive. Even though there's only a bit of pureed pumpkin, it adds excellent flavor and keeps them moist.

I hit upon this cookie recipe because I had a bit of pureed pumpkin left over from these Halloween cupcakes. This recipe is nice for using up that little extra bit of puree -- the original recipe uses sweet potato, and I think butternut squash would work as well. I do recommend seeking out high-quality couverture wafers for this recipe, although of course regular chocolate chips would be tasty as well. However, the big chunks of dark chocolate really take these over the top! I will definitely be making these again.

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans (adapted from Baking Bites, original recipe here)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
1 cup chopped dark chocolate or couverture wafers such as E. Guittard
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg, followed by the pumpkin puree and vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour, mixing until just blended. Stir in the oats, chocolate, and pecans, again mixing until just combined.
4. (Optional) Pop the dough in the fridge for half an hour to help it firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll large spoonfuls of dough into balls and space them out on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are set.

Apple Cobbler Bars

Have you heard that Nicole of Baking Bites has just put out a cookbook? This made me really excited because hers is one of my favorite blogs, and the cookbook promised lots of brand new recipes! I was delighted when the copy I'd ordered arrived, with lots of full color photos and amazing-sounding recipes. The first one I tried was the apple cobbler bars, which I have to say definitely lived up to everything I was expecting! They're perfectly spiced, moist, and full of apple flavor. These really are like apple cobbler made into a cake! They're sweet enough for dessert, but also good for breakfast. Finally, they're super easy to pull together, with ingredients you're likely to have around the house. Sadly my photo doesn't really do the bars justice (it was a really cloudy day), but I definitely recommend trying them out!


Apple Cobbler Bars (adapted from the Baking Bites Cookbook)
Makes 1 8-inch square pan of bar cookies/cake

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 medium apples, peeled and diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the apples, and stir to combine. Spread the batter into the greased pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before slicing and serving.

Zucchini-Orange Cupcakes

I discovered this recipe in my backlog of unposted recipes, and just had to share it with you! It's from a lovely set of cupcake recipes given to me by my sister a couple of years ago. The original recipe was for carrot cake, but I substituted zucchini since I baked these in the middle of zucchini season when we were absolutely drowning in them! Zucchini and orange make an interesting and tasty combination, and the raisins and chopped nuts add texture and extra delicious-ness. The orange cream cheese frosting is absolutely to-die-for, and would be excellent on many kinds of cupcakes (or even some fancy muffins!).


Zucchini-Orange Cupcakes (adapted from The Cupcake Deck)
Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 cup grated zucchini
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line twelve muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners. Spray with nonstick spray.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar on medium speed until smooth and thick, 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides as needed. On low speed, mix in the oil, vanilla, and orange zest until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate.

3. Press down on the zucchini to extract as much liquid as possible. Add to the batter along with the raisins and walnuts and mix.

4. Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of atter. Bake until the top feels firm and a tester comes out clean, 28 minutes.

5. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides as needed. Add the sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute, and then meat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting further. Fold in the orange zest with a rubber spatula.

6. Frost the cupcakes once completely cooled.

Mediterranean Shepherd's Pie

This unusual shepherd's pie is really delicious. I was a little skeptical when I first saw the recipe because I just wasn't sure if everything would "go" together--but the flavors complement each other perfectly. I've made it a couple of times, once with all beef and again with a combination of beef and veal. Both options were fantastic. This dish is nice because it's really a full meal in one pan - meat plus lots of veggies. Although there are two components - the meat-veggie filling and the sweet potato topping - the dish does come together fairly quickly because the potatoes can be boiling while you prepare the filling. Definitely a keeper!

Mediterranean Shepherd's Pie (adapted from Karina's Kitchen, original recipe here)

For the topping:
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
A dash of nutmeg
A drizzle of olive oil, to taste
Milk, as needed

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and ground lamb
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 small to medium zucchini, trimmed, cubed
1 cup artichoke hearts, cut into pieces if whole
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles (Muir Glen makes a good version)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley or cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a pot of fresh salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until under fork tender and mashable.

3. Meanwhile, saute the ground meat in a large hot skillet until lightly browned. Pour off the fat and return the skillet to the stove. Add the onions and garlic; stir and cook for five minutes or until the onions are soft.

4. Add the zucchini; stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the artichokes and tomatoes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar,honey or sugar, dried herbs and cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced a bit and everything is nicely tender. Remove from heat.

5. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and mash them lightly. Season with sea salt, ground pepper and nutmeg. Drizzle with a little fruity olive oil. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk and stir until smooth and fluffy.

6. Layer the beef and veggie mixture in a casserole or baking dish. Top with the mashed sweet potatoes.

7. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until bubbling and hot- about 25 minutes. If the top starts to brown too soon, you can cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.