Cannoli with Blueberry Sauce -or- What Do I Do with all that Blueberry Sauce?

So, in case you weren't aware, it's been pretty bloody hot outside. Despite this, occasionally I've been craving dessert, and because I must have some sort of glitch, ice cream doesn't hold my interest.

So what does one  do?

Make cannoli. If you buy the premade shells,which can actually be quite tasty, this recipe requires not a single flick of your burner or preheat of the oven. If you can bear it, you just need to heat the blueberry sauce in the microwave for a few seconds. The recipe takes less than 10 minutes. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with cannoli filling, including key-lime, and on Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie cannoli. I'd be curious about other suggestions. This recipe is courtesy of my frontal lobe.

      Hmm, they look suspiciously like my crepes with blueberry. I don't have a pastry bag, so that's why my filling is not lovely and artisan-like.

Cannoli with Blueberry Sauce (makes 4-6 cannoli)

• 16 oz ricotta cheese (get the good stuff; avoid low fat, as it will be runnier and the filling won't set properly)
• 1/4-1/3 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• juice and zest of 1/2 lemon 
• 6 cannoli shells
• 1/2 cup blueberry sauce, warmed

1. Drain any liquid off the top of the ricotta, place in bowl, and begin whisking with a fork.
2. Slowly incorporate the sifted confectioner's sugar. Keep whisking! You're hand should be nice and tired.
3. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla extract.
4. Continue whisking until mixture is somewhat fluffy and all the lumps from the ricotta are gone.
5. Taste, add additional sugar, lemon, or vanilla as needed.
6. Gently spoon the filling in the cannoli shells. A small rubber spatula works nicely.
7. Spoon some of the warmed blueberry sauce over the cannoli and enjoy.

                           I prefer the mini-cannoli shells, unfortunately these weren't available.

 

Still too runny. Be sure to whisk with a fork, and not an actual whisk. I tried this once, and all my filling ended up on the whisk, a cannoli lollipop of sorts. You can probably use a Kitchen Aid, but I haven't tried.

Recipe Notes: If you don't use a blueberry sauce, or chocolate sauce, etc. on top of the cannoli, I recommend bumping up the sugar to 1/2 C, more if needed. This filling is fairly delicately flavored, due to the intense flavor of the blueberry sauce, as well as the fact that when the weather is so warm, I don't want super sugary desserts. If possible, let the filling sit for 30 minutes before constructing the cannoli. The filling stays fresh for a few days in the fridge, and if you compose your cannoli the day after you make the filling, the lemon flavor will be more pronounced.

Verdict? Not much else to say but yum. A deceptively impressive dessert.