Introduction: Pumpkin Cannoli


You don't usually hear people say, "This cannoli is missing something" but after the pumpkin version you may be thinking that next time you have a plain, boring, old cannoli.

Cannoli Shells
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1 Tbs brandy
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp orange extract
  • 1 egg
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup pecans (or sprinkles if you prefer)
Filling
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or roasted)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon*
  • 1/2 tsp ginger*
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg*
  • 1/4 tsp allspice*
  • Dash of cardamon*
* Or substitute these five ingredients with 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Tools
  • Cannoli tubes
  • Sharp knife (or dovetail saw)
  • Baking sheets
  • Electric mixer
  • Wooden tongs (or other safe frying equipment)
  • Silicone mat (optional)
  • Baking dish, large
  • Pastry bag or tube
  • Mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • Plastic wrap

Looking for more pumpkin recipes...?

pancaketapiocasmoothieseeds

Step 1: Time Management


Several of these steps require a significant amount of down time. Save time by planning out which can be done a day or two in advance (shells or pumpkin) or performed in parallel. Or, which things are better to buy if you don't want to get all old-timey.

Thank god I stopped myself from making a Gantt chart, but it was close!

Step Order
Preheat oven
Toast pecans (5 minutes in oven)
Cut and clean pumpkin
Remove pecans from oven and start pumpkin roasting (in oven 1 hour)
Mix dough (mix time + wrap and set dough for 1 hour)
Mix filling (mix time + 1 hour in fridge)
If pumpkin is not done roasting at this point, mix all the other ingredients first and add pumpkin when it's ready
Make shells (frying time + chocolate + fridge time)
The filling and shells should be ready about the same time

Step 2: Roast Pumpkin


Preheat oven to 350oF
  1. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds (I cannot recommend using a dovetail saw enough. They make cutting any squash way easier to manage. Seriously.)
  2. Place halves in baking dish and add 1/4" water
  3. Roast for 40 - 60 minutes, until tender - when a fork can pierce through
  4. Let cool before removing pumpkin from skin

Step 3: Toast Pecans


Preheat oven to 350oF and toast pecans for five minutes. Once cooled, finely chop.

Step 4: Shell Dough


Make Dough
  1. Mix dry ingredients with pieces of butter
  2. Once combined, mix in liquid ingredients
  3. Knead into a ball
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour
Prep Shells
  1. Roll out dough into thin sheets, as close to 1/8" as possible
  2. Cut into 3" x 3" squares
  3. Wrap each square around a tube

Step 5: Fry Shells


Ideally, you have a larger pan than the one pictured, so you can fry at least 2 shells at once...
  1. Heat oil on medium
  2. Carefully lower tubes into oil
  3. Fry until golden brown (1 - 2 minutes)
  4. Super-carefully remove tubes from oil using wooden tongs and place on paper towels to dry
Important Safety Tips
  • Place a stack of paper towels in a baking pan to set cannoli shells on when done - this will keep anything from rolling around
  • Not only is this a pan of hot oil, but metal tubes are being dipped into it, so let shells remain in the tubes for several minutes before attempting to remove
  • When removing the shells from the oil, watch out for any oil that may be inside the tube - don't drip!

Step 6: Coat Shells With Chocolate


  1. Melt chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and set for 20 seconds
  2. Remove stir and repeat until smooth
  3. Dip each end of the shells in chocolate
  4. Gently roll in pecan pieces or sprinkles
  5. Place in fridge to let the chocolate set

Step 7: Filling


Thoroughly mix all filling ingredients with electric mixer. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for an hour. You may need to add more powdered sugar to thicken the filling depending on the consistency of the pumpkin puree.

Step 8: Fill Cannoli


  1. Remove filling from fridge and fill pastry bag/tube
  2. Pipe into shells as close to serving time as possible
Now just prepare to hear how awesome dessert was : )