A couple of weeks ago we had a neighborhood block party and my friend Stacey brought this neat dessert of cannoli chips and dip. The dip, she explained, was cannoli filling, and the chips were pieces of cannoli shells sprinkled with powdered sugar. Since she has small kids, she finds that traditional cannoli shells are nearly impossible to make – you just can’t concentrate enough to create those perfect shapes with kids running around! But chips are a cinch and people can dip them in the filling to enjoy the same flavor as actual cannoli.
Needless to say, I was instantly struck by the genius of this idea. I LOVE cannoli but rarely attempt them at home because the project just seems too big to tackle with my little ones underfoot. However, cannoli chips seemed totally manageable … and sure enough, when I made these last week they worked beautifully!
The key is treating the dough like a pie crust. It mixed up easily and I rolled it out and cut it with a pizza cutter to make the chips. Then I made the filling in the mixer – just two quick steps and I was done!
No stressing over how to make the cannoli shells into perfect tubes or worrying if they broke. It was impossible to go wrong. I served them at a casual gathering with friends and they were fabulous. We were all fans of this fun new twist on our favorite Italian treat.
Cannoli Chips* & Dip
Chip recipe adapted from the Food Network
Ingredients for the chips:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, diced
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup dry white wine
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt and stir with a whisk. Cut in the butter and pinch it with your hands until the mixture turns sandy. Then mix in the egg yolk and white wine.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and place it on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Fill a pot with canola oil so that it goes 2 inches up the side and heat it to 360 degrees F. Cut the dough into chip pieces (3-inch triangles or squares) and fry them for about 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to move the cooked chips to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain and cool.
Ingredients for the dip:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 5 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate, melted
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, together until smooth. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Place in a bowl for dipping.
- Top prepare your platter:
- Place the chips on a plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Set the dip in a bowl next to the chips and serve!
*No-fry shortcut: If you make these at home and you are unsure about frying the chips you can also buy fried Italian cookies sometimes called Angel Wings and break them into pieces to serve with the dip. They have similar flavor and will work just as well!
Food , Recipes
