Holy moly, this ice cream tastes just like a cannoli!
Those triangular, tortilla chip-like pieces drizzled with chocolate in the photo are Stew Leonard's cannoli chips! They sell these cannoli shell chips to dunk in their cannoli filling, a deconstructed way to enjoy this classic Italian pastry. The moment I saw them I was instantly inspired to make a no-churn cannoli ice cream using fresh ricotta. Only fresh ricotta will do, and at that it must be as dry as possible to yield a creamy and supple scoop. Your local cheese shop or gourmet food store sells it, or you can make it yourself! Crumbled cannoli pieces coated in dark chocolate along with a scattering of mini chocolate chips means that every bite of this frozen treat has that unmistakable cannoli flavor.
Equipment: cutting board; chef’s knife; wet and dry measuring cups; measuring spoons; food processor; mixing bowls; rubber spatula; whisk; standing mixer or hand mixer; loaf or cake pan
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup crumbled cannoli shells or chips 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
¼ cup miniature chocolate chips
1. Place a metal loaf or cake pan in the freezer.
2. Combine the crumbled cannoli pieces with the melted chocolate until fully coated. Spread on a wax paper-lined vessel and chill for 10 minutes in the freezer.
3. Combine the condensed milk and ricotta in a food processor and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and blend until well combined. Set aside.
ILOC tip: the drier the ricotta, the creamier the ice cream. Strain the fresh ricotta in a mesh sieve for an hour, if it is at all moist, for the best, creamiest results. It's all about technique, not torture!
4. Beat the heavy cream using a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
5. Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream to the sweetened condensed milk-ricotta mixture to lighten the mixture. Once well incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
"The sourness of ricotta provides such a sophistication and balance to the otherwise sweet cream mixture...a very grown-up ice cream flavor!"
6. Place the mixture in the chilled loaf or cake pan and return to the freezer for 2-3 hours.
6. Remove the pan from the freezer, and then remove half the ice cream to another vessel (the ice cream should be a soft-serve texture at this stage). Carefully fold in half the chocolate-covered cannoli chunks and miniature chocolate chips. Return the rest of the ice cream to the pan and add the remaining chocolate-covered cannoli chunks and miniature chocolate chips.
7. Return the pan to the freezer for 4 hours, until the ice cream is fully set and ready to serve. Store tightly sealed in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Makes 8-10 servings.
