Cannoli Pound Cake – Ricotta / Pistachios

Who doesn’t love the tastes of traditional Cannoli & now we can enjoy all of its glory in a Pound cake! It’s perfectly moist and slightly dense but still light and packed pull of flavors !

Ingredients

• 1 Orange
• 3 Large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of Baking powder
• 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips (plus a little more for topping just before you bake)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of fresh or dried nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of organic sugar
• 1/2 cup of pistachios lightly chopped
• 3/4 cup salted good quality & softened butter
• Approx 15 oz of Ricotta cheese

What to do:

• First preheat your oven to 350 & grease your 9 x 5” loaf pan. Then line the on with parchment paper (perfect for lifting out this heavier pound cake) you can also use a Bundt pan if you’d rather but make note of the reduced baking time.
• In a large bowl add your softened butter and sugar (I used a stand mixer but you can also use a hand mixer if you don’t have one) and mix on high to cream the mixture. Approx 3-4 mins
• Now add in the ricotta and mix until it looks light and fluffy about 5 mins!
• now add in the the eggs 1 at a time and beat until incorporated
• in a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and whisk together. (Flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg) now add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and beat on med slow just until it’s incorporated, don’t over mix.
• Now fold in the chocolate chips & pistachios and orange rind lightly just until mixed through.
• Now transfer into your loaf pan (or Bundt pan) and smooth out then a tap or 3 on the counter to even out. Put in the oven for between 1 hr and 5 mins to 1 1/4 hours depending on your oven (or 40 to 50 mins if you are using a Bundt pan) then teste for doneness by inserting a tooth pick into the center and if it comes out clean your set to take out (remember it still continues to bake a little after taken out.
• Cool in the lot pan for approx 15 mins & then gently lift out of the pan my the parchment paper & cool completely on a cooling rack.

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Now find a perfect plate once cooled and here is where you can add your final touch to enhance that cannoli experience. Simple touch of dusting with inching sugar is just perfect but up next for me is a simple ricotta, orange & icing sugar drizzle which I will add photos of when I try it!

Prep time: approx 10 mins

Bake time: approx 1.05 to 110 mins

Calories: approx 385 and approx 24 servings depending on your slice size

Everything we love about Italy !

Happy Sunday great foodie friends, 

This is a great short piece but long enough to make your mouth water and remind you how Italians influence (and beautifully by the way) the culinary world! 

Enjoy! 



Rustic Artichoke stuffed pasta shells

Happy Friday great foodie friends.

As fall arrives so does the memories of comfort foods & fall flavors. From savory soups, braised ribs and of course filled pastas. 

Today we look at a perfect heartwarming filled shell pasta! 

Makes 24 stuffed shells

  
Ingredients

1-16 oz box jumbo shell pasta

Your favorite tomato pasta sauce

2 – 15 oz containers ricotta cheese

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and rustically chopped.

1/2 lb lean browned ground beef (I also love to use ground veal mixed in with my ground beef, it makes it extra rich and flavorful) 

1 cup diced red or sweet onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dry parsley flakes

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Parmigiana cheese

 Directions

Mix the ricotta, egg, salt, pepper and parsley in a large bowl.

Fold in the artichoke pieces and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

  
Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Boil the jumbo pasta shells following the directions on the box. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

  
Add your olive oil to your favorite pan then add in your diced onion and soften. Brown the ground beef and the minced garlic and let cool once browned. 

Now mix the ricotta mixture with the cooled ground beef and set aside.

  
Warm up your tomato sauce in another pan and heat through. Then remove from the heat.

Spread 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

  
Fill each jumbo shell with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta / ground beef mixture and place seam up into the baking dish.

Repeat until you run out of ricotta/beef mixture.

Spread the remaining sauce over the top of the stuffed pasta shells.

** A little added fun! Make your favorite garlic parm cream sauce and drizzle over the top as well for some added flavor! 

  
Now cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the ricotta filling is heated through and the sauce is bubbling.

Remove baking dish from the oven and sprinkle 1 to 1/2 cups of the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the shells and dust with Parmigina cheese.

  
Recover with aluminum foil and return to the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve this perfect fall dinner with your favorite garlic bread and salad and maybe even the perfect sip of vino.

Enjoy! 

You Gotta Try This!