OK, this year I did the traditional Thanksgiving ‘pumpkin pie’ differently. Totally differently. Think: Individual serving size pumpkin. But better. Pumpkin Spice Cannoli!
Since we are hosting a smaller gathering this year, and I already made the bourbon apple pie filling with the apples from our orchard, I wanted to make something a little more unique, but still with that traditional pumpkin pie flavor.
I was casting about in the bakery section of the grocery store, looking for ideas on how to incorporate a little pumpkin into a small bite-size pumpkin-y desert. I saw the most yummy looking fresh made cannoli shells. Light bulb! Pumpkin Spice Cannoli are born!
In my opinion, Italian deserts are the best. Zabaglione, tiramisu, lady fingers and amaretto cookies are among my favorite deserts. The reason I like Italian deserts is because they are flavorful, often with a hint of liqueur. They are light and perfect for after a big meal. And not too sweet.
I am especially fond of cannoli because they bring back great memories from my childhood. My family drove to New York to visit our cousins for the holidays. My aunt always remembered the cannolis for our visit. Really great cannolis are like eating a cloud inside of a cookie shell.
Basically, the idea behind this recipe is to mix in the pumpkin puree along with the mascarpone, ricotta, and sugar. The addition of some fall spices like nutmeg and ginger make this so festive – definitely a keeper for our Thanksgiving recipe arsenal. In fact, dare I say, worthy of adding as a new holiday tradition.
So back to the Pumpkin Spice Cannoli recipe. This recipe is super easy. And they were perfect for our Thanksgiving table.
If you haven’t checked out my article on pumpkin purée, it is a good refresher on making it well no matter what kind of pumpkin or squash you use.
Notes for this Recipe
In short, you’ll just want to make sure that the pumpkin puree you use – whether from a can or your own homemade, is not at all watery. This will just make the mixture too soft and runny, and could even make the cannoli shells soggy. Either strain the pumpkin puree for several hours or heat it in a saucepan on the stove to evaporate all of the moisture out.
When making the whipped cream, beat the mixture enough so that there are firm-ish stiff peaks. This is what keeps the cannoli filling inside the shell. So it needs to be a little stiffer because when you mix it with the pumpkin puree mixture, it will be firm enough to hold together.
Clearly, you can make your whipped cream by hand or with a stand mixer. I actually love doing this by hand with a whisk, because I love seeing the stiff peaks form. If you make it by hand, it helps to use a chilled glass bowl. I know most people probably prefer the electronic mixer, and if that’s you – go for it!
When mixing the Ricotta mixture with the whipped cream mixture, do that part by hand, but be sure to mix it well. You want to have a fully blended consistency, but you don’t want to over-beat it, either.
I had a hard time finding crushed pistachios, so I ended up crushing them myself from whole pistachios. I just used a plastic bag and a meat tenderizer to get the size I wanted.
Pumpkin Spice Cannoli Filling Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (check out my article on perfecting your homemade pumpkin puree)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- shake of allspice
- 1/4 cup crushed pistachios. (I crushed the pistachios in a plastic bag)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- Cannoli shells
- another 1/4 cup crushed pistachios for garnish
Instructions
Mix the first 9 ingredients together in a large-ish bowl. Make sure to get all of the mascarpone blobs mixed in so that there are no white spots in your mixture. Set in the refrigerator to cool.
Next, beat the whipping cream in a chilled glass bowl until stiff peaks form.
Take the pumpkin and mascarpone mixture out of the refrigerator, and fold the whipping cream mixture into it.
When completely blended, fill the cannoli shells with a piping bag or a slim spoon.
Garnish with powdered sugar and crushed pistachios.
Enjoy!
