Italian Cannoli Cream Pie with mascarpone cheese, ricotta, orange zest, hint of cinnamon and topped with pistachios and mini chocolate chips. Served in a sugar cone crust for a chewy crunch of a cannoli shell, fantastico.
Mini food processor (crushing sugar cones for crust)
9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
Italian Cannoli Cream Filling
2-1/2cupsheavy cream(divided after whipped)
8ouncesmascarpone cheese, room temp
4ouncescream cheese, room temp
1cuppowdered sugar
1cupricotta cheese
1-1/2teaspoonspure vanilla
1teaspoonorange zest(about half of an orange)
1/4teaspooncinnamon
1/3cupmini chocolate chips (topping)
1/3cupchopped pistachios (topping)
Additional3tablespoons powder sugar (topping)
Sugar Cone Pie Crust
1-1/2 cupscrushed sugar cones (12 sugar cones)
4tablespoonsbutter, melted
Instructions
Sugar Cone Crust
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Break up 6 of the sugar cones and process in a food processor for just a minute or so, you want 1/4 inch pieces along with a little bit of fine powder. Repeat with remaining sugar cones.
Place crushed cones into a medium bowl and use a fork to stir the while pouring in the melted butter.
Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake crust at 350 F. for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before adding cannoli filling.
Italian Cannoli Cream Filling
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Scoop out 2 cups for pie filling and set both bowls of whipped cream aside in fridge.
In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the mascarpone and cream cheese for about 3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and continue beating with electric mixer until creamy.
Add the ricotta cheese, vanilla, orange zest and cinnamon. Beat with mixer another 3 minutes until thoroughly combined.
Using a spatula, fold in the 2 cups of whipped heavy cream into the mascarpone cheese mixture and spread filling into cooled sugar cone crust.
Topping
Hand whisk in the 3 tablespoons powder sugar to the remaining whipped cream.
Pipe the whipped cream around edge of pie. Sprinkle on chopped pistachios and/or mini chocolate chips. Let pie firm up in refrigerator about 4 hours before serving.
Notes
Adaptation for Freezer Pie: Omit the 1 cup of powdered sugar in the filling and replace it with one can of sweetened condensed milk. Freeze for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Let sit 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing.