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...?

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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