Mini Cannoli Tarts

I was having an Italian-themed potluck at work and when thinking about dessert, cannoli were the first thing that came to mind. I wasn’t up for frying shells so I decided to tarts instead. They were perfect for transporting. I simply brought the baked shells and a piping bag full of filling and assembled on site. So easy.

Mini Cannoli Tarts
Makes 20

Ingredients:

Sablee Crust:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cold water, plus extra if needed
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1″ cubes

Filling:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of ground cinnamon
4 ounces dark chocolate
mini chocolate chips, for garnish
pistachios, raw, unsalted and chopped finely, for garnish
powdered sugar, for dusting

In this recipe, I used the Williams-Sonoma Tartlet Set with 2 1/2″ wells. Note, the tarts are bit more shallow in depth, like what you might see with mini quiches. I liked that for this particular recipe. I wanted more cream in proportion to crust. You can use individual tart shells around the same size, just know the dough makes approximately 20 of the 2 1/2″. In the direction below, I’ll explain as if you’re using individual shells.

Directions:

For the crust:

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla and water until combined. Set aside.

In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of small peas. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture while pulsing until the dough just starts to come together. It should clump slightly. To test, take a small portion in your hand and if the dough holds together, you’re done. If it’s a bit crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it holds.

Transfer the dough to your counter and bring together to form a round disc. Flatten to about 1″ thick. The flatter the disc, the more quickly the dough will chill and the easier it will be to roll out. Let chill for at least 1 hour. I like to leave it overnight and resume the process the next day.

Preheat oven to 350.

Once the dough has chilled, take it out and leave on the counter for about 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your room, to soften slightly before rolling. It should be cold but pliable. Roll out the dough until 1/8″ thick. If at any point it gets too soft, place the dough onto a sheet pan and place in the fridge for 5 minute before resuming.

Use a 3-3.5″ round cutter (depending on how deep you’d like the crust) to cut out circles of dough and fit them into each tart shell. Place into the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm. Then line with parchment, fill with pie weights and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the dough appears dry. Remove the parchment and weights and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely. When cool, remove the crusts from the tart shells.

For the filling:

In a mixer, beat together the ricotta and sugar until fluffy. Add the heavy cream, orange zest, lemon juice and ground cinnamon and beat until combined. Set aside.

In a microwave or over double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. With a brush, generously coat the bottom of each tart crust with chocolate. Place into the fridge for 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set. Remove from fridge.

In a large piping bag with a 1″ star tip, fill with the ricotta mixture, then pipe approximately 2 tablespoons into each shell.

Garnish the tops with mini chocolate chips, chopped pistachios and a dusting of powdered sugar.