This recipe for Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli features a delicious custard, studded with jewel-toned cherries and dark chocolate chips. This is a quick and easy custard that can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
If you have a family recipe for homemade cannoli shells, definitely use it, but I know not everyone has the time to make homemade shells. The easy part of any cannoli is the filling and you can use premade, store-bought cannoli shells and still get a show-stopper effect.
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The First Time I Made the Family Cannoli Recipe
December 2006, my sister and I spent a day deciphering our late Aunt’s Katie’s copy of the family recipe for cannoli shells and filling. It was nearly a year to the day she had passed away. A year earlier, the cousins had talked about the need to get together, to plan a day where she could teach us how to make some of the old family recipes, including the family recipe for cannoli. Life got in the way and that time with her and the family never happened. We did manage to get everyone together a few years later for a beautiful day of shell-making, food and laughter.
My mom was one of four sisters born to Italian-American immigrants. Our family had lost another Aunt, Aunt Madge, years earlier, and so, we were feeling that tug, that need to reconnect with something lost, and feed something still within us. Cooking and baking is not always about feeding the body. When life’s in balance, I think food ministers equally to body and soul. Then there are those times when the soul just needs a nice bowl of comfort food to set things in the world right again.
As we sensed our way through the process, we couldn’t help but feel that Aunt Katie and Aunt Madge were guiding us in spirit. Some things you have to learn by doing. There’s a kinesthetic knowledge that goes deeper than anything you can take away from reading the words written on a page alone. We wanted to learn how to make the delicious treats we had grown up with. We also wanted to be able to pass down the secrets of that tradition to our own daughters.
Making homemade cannoli shells that first time took us nearly half a day. At each step, we discussed, second guessed ourselves a time or two and took notes for the next year. When we tasted the first fruits of our labor, we laughed, cried ugly, happy tears, hugged, gave each other a kiss and told each other how wonderful we both were. We also thanked the Aunties for helping us along the way.
I’m please to report that 2023 marked the 17th year of holiday cannoli shell making.
The History of the Cannoli
Cannoli, the iconic Italian pastry, has a rich history that traces back to Sicily. The exact origin is a topic of debate, but it’s widely believed that the dessert has Arab roots, introduced to Sicily by the Moors in the early 700s AD. The word “cannoli” itself means “little tube” or “little reeds” in Italian, reflecting the dessert’s characteristic tubular shape.
While ricotta is a traditional filling for cannoli, variations exist. Some Sicilian recipes, like our family recipe incorporate a custard-based filling. Custard variations often include ingredients like milk, sugar, cornstarch, and sometimes egg yolks for richness. It provides a creamier and smoother texture compared to the drier ricotta filling.
Cannoli have evolved over time, adapting to regional preferences and ingredients and I love the diverse range of interpretations you see today. The variations in shell ingredients and fillings contribute to the uniqueness and charm of this beloved dessert.
The Hook Behind These Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli
In Michigan, you choose your colors. During football season, some people bleed maze and blue. Others can be heard chanting, “Go Green!” in response to someone else’s call to “Go White!” much like a game of Marco Polo. And then there are Detroit Lions fans. You’ll see us sporting Honolulu Blue with a bit of a chip on our shoulders, and for good reason.
True Lions fans are a different animal all together. We’ve been patiently standing behind our team for a very, very, very long time. For years we’ve defended their good name when others besmirched them, speaking into existence that glorious day when our team would rise up and claim a winning season – maybe even win the Super Bowl. The sky’s the limit!
For years, our family has made a tradition out of making a “party feast” to enjoy while watching the Lions play. The thought process was this; if we win, it’s a really good day, but if we lose, at least we got a really good meal out of the four hours dedicated to sitting there, watching the carnage. Rumor has it I’ve dedicated recipes to both the team and coach. I unapologetically acknowledge this rumor as truth.
In fact, a few seasons back I dedicated a recipe for Honolulu Blueberry Crisp to the team, and in 2023, I introduced a recipe for Dan Dan Noodle Lettuce Wraps in honor of Coach, Dan Campbell. If you’re looking for delicious game day recipes, these lettuce wraps and blueberry crisp are sure to become two of your new favorites.
However, today’s recipe is dedicated to my favorite Lions Linebacker – Alex Anzalone! I’ve always had a soft spot for alliteration and playful titles. With that said, I give you the Alex Anzalone Chocolate Cherry Cannoli! If the Lions are playing, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be enjoying these for dessert while watching the game.
An easy and delicious cannoli filling
This recipe is a variation on my family’s original custard filling. Milk, a little sugar, flour and corn starch and cinnamon sticks provide the base for the custard. A small portion of cream cheese is used to add another layer of depth. You can use full fat or light interchangeably. The addition of cream cheese gives the custard a light cheesecake flavor, which goes perfectly with the cherry and chocolate.
A blend of vanilla and a touch of almond flavoring is added at the end. You may be wondering why both vanilla and almond flavoring are used. Both pair well with chocolate, but almond compliments anything cherry especially well. Don’t be tempted to skip the almond. It really does make all the difference in this recipe.
Mini dark chocolate chips and cherries are folded into the finished custard. At this point, you are ready to pipe your cannoli filling into the shells. To finish the cannoli, dip the ends in the remaining chocolate chips, dust the tops with powdered sugar and enjoy.
What kind of cherries can I use in this recipe?
Candied cherries, like the kind you use to make a fruitcake, deliver the most eye-popping color. If making these cannoli for the holidays, you can even do a blend of red and green cherries for a festive touch.
However, if you want to make these Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli a little extra lux, use Luxardo Cherries. These cherries are soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup and are my go-to for cocktails, mocktails or simply served over ice cream. If using Luxardo cherries, you’ll want to rinse, strain and pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the filling. This will preserve the white color of the filling, and you’ll still get the wonderful flavor of the cherries.
I recommend rinsing the cherries is a tall glass of sparkling water. I can think of nothing more refreshing and well deserved than a tall glass of cherry-infused sparkling water as a reward for all your efforts in the kitchen.
Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli
Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy12
servings10
minutes10
minutes90
minutes20
minutesThis recipe for Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Cherry Cannoli filling features a delicious custard, studded with jewel-toned cherries and dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- For the custard base
2 cups 2 percent milk or skim milk
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp. A.P. Flour
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Cornstarch
Pinch of salt
- For finishing the cannoli
4 ounces cream cheese, whipped until fluffy and with no lumps remaining
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup candied cherries, roughly chopped 1/4 inch
1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips plus an extra cup for dipping the sides of the cannoli
Powdered sugar for dusting the tops of the cannoli
Directions
- Prepare the custard base
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pinch of salt and cinnamon sticks. Sift the flour and cornstarch into the milk mixture and stir to incorporate.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid sticking and burning. Mixture will thicken to a custard consistency – approximately 7 minutes.
- Remove the custard from the heat, pour through a strainer while still hot – transferring the strained custard from the saucepan into a glass bowl. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature uncovered. Once the mixture has reached room temperature, cover and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for one hour more.
- While the custard is chilling in the refrigerator, prep your cherries and measure out 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Pour the remaining chocolate chips in a small bowl for dipping the ends of the shells. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and blend until incorporated and no lumps remain.
- Add 1/3 of the custard mixture to the cream cheese mixture and blend on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the remaining custard to the cream cheese mixture and blend until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in the cherries and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- Using a piping bag, pipe the filling into one end of the cannoli. Once the first side is filled, rotate the shell and fill the other end. Dip both ends in chocolate chips and set aside. Repeat the process until all the shells are filled. Depending on the size of your shells, you should get 12-15 cannoli from one batch of filling.
- Dust the finished cannoli with powdered sugar and serve immediately for best taste and texture.
