Description
Delight in these soft and flavorful Cannoli Cookies featuring a creamy ricotta cheese base, enriched with aromatic orange zest, warm spices, crunchy pistachios, and melty chocolate chips. Perfectly tender with a slightly chewy texture, these cookies bring the beloved tastes of cannoli into a convenient, handheld treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Add-Ins
- 1/3 cup pistachios roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until soft and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for your cookie dough.
- Add Wet Flavorings: Mix in the whole egg, pure vanilla extract, ricotta cheese, orange zest, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Continuously mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed for even incorporation.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder to evenly distribute the leavening agents and flour.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, taking care not to overmix. Then fold in the roughly chopped pistachios and mini chocolate chips until the dough forms. The dough will be wetter and slightly sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This helps the dough firm up, improving texture and easing the scooping process.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats to prevent sticking.
- Scoop Cookies: Using a mini ice cream scoop, portion out dough balls and place them spaced evenly on the prepared baking sheets, allowing room for slight spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown, indicating they are cooked through but still tender inside.
- Cool and Garnish: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, drizzle melted chocolate on top or dust with powdered sugar for an elegant finish. Enjoy your cannoli-inspired cookies!
Notes
- Use whole milk ricotta cheese for best texture and flavor; draining excess liquid before measuring can prevent overly wet dough.
- Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent the cookies from spreading too much and to develop flavor.
- The dough is slightly sticky and wetter than typical cookie dough; handle gently when scooping.
- Substitute pistachios with chopped almonds or walnuts if preferred.
- For a decorative touch, drizzle melted dark or white chocolate after cooling, or dust with powdered sugar.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
