Description
Delicious Cannoli Cookies inspired by the classic Italian dessert, featuring a soft, slightly sticky dough enriched with ricotta cheese, orange zest, and warm spices, studded with pistachios and mini chocolate chips, baked to golden perfection and optionally drizzled with melted chocolate or dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 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 the mixture is soft and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Spices: Incorporate the egg, pure vanilla extract, ricotta cheese, orange zest, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg into the creamed mixture. Continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Then fold in the roughly chopped pistachios and mini chocolate chips until a dough forms. Note that the dough will be on the wetter side and may appear slightly sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Scoop and Bake Cookies: Use a mini ice cream scoop to portion out cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges turn a light golden brown.
- Cool and Optional Decoration: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cookies or dust with powdered sugar to finish.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to develop flavors.
- If you prefer, substitute pistachios with chopped walnuts or almonds.
- For a citrus twist, adjust orange zest according to your taste preference.
- Ensure the ricotta cheese is well-drained to avoid excess moisture in the dough.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
