Cannoli are one of my favorite desserts. The sweet ricotta cheese filling dotted with the mini chocolate chips all nestled in a crispy shell is the perfect combination.
Since it is Christmastime, I thought how can I turn these little guys into a Christmas treat? Then it struck me, let’s turn them into a Christmas classic – a peppermint candy cane.
These little treats are really simple and a great no-bake dessert option. The hardest part is letting the ricotta cheese sit in the refrigerator to drain for 24 hours. Other than that you’ll be eating this Italian dessert in no time!
Print Candy Cane Cannoli Cups
Ingredients
- 30 mini phyllo shells or your favorite mini cannoli shells (I used store-bought)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 and 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
- 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring oil
- 1 box chocolate melting candy from Target (or your favorite brand). Divided in half.
- 1 cup crushed peppermint candy (you can buy it pre-crushed during the holidays)
- 1 pastry bag fitted with a wide tip
Instructions
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Place the ricotta cheese into a fine-mesh strainer over a deep bowl and place it in the fridge to drain for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
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After the cheese has drained for the allotted time, in a large bowl combine the drained cheese, confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and peppermint oil. Using a spoon, mix well.
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Carefully scoop the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with the wide tip. (Note: using too small of a tip will result in the chocolate chips getting stuck) Use immediately, or refrigerate until needed; up to 24 hours.
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Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions. Taking note not to overheat the chocolate. Chocolate is really easy to burn and once it’s burnt there’s no fixing it. Once melted take one phyllo cup and dip the edges into the chocolate then in the crushed peppermint candy. Set to the side to harden.
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When ready to serve, pipe the filling into the mini cups, filling to the rim. Note: If you do not have a piping bag, use two small spoons to fill the cups. Scoop the filling with one spoon then scrape it off, into the cup, with the other spoon. Repeat until you have filled all the mini cups.
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Sprinkle on a few chocolate chips onto each filled cup. Serve immediately. Note: do not fill the shells until you are ready to eat, otherwise the shell will get soggy.
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