Cannoli Cupcakes

All the deliciousness of a cannoli without the frying mess!? Yes indeed. These cupcakes are complete and utter bliss! I have a total weakness for cannolis so I was so excited to see they come in cupcake form. I love all things pastry and all things cupcake and these are the best of both worlds combined into one decadent, out of this world dessert. These are deliciously indulgent and perfectly dainty. They are fancy enough that I felt it was an occasion worth getting out my Grandmother's fine china set, sipping milk out of a tea cup and gently using a fork as if I were a Queen. That is until after one bite, I quickly forgot that fancy mannered moment and rather wanted to drop my fork and shove the entire cupcake in mouth and devour all of it in it's entirety without leaving a smidgen of a crumb behind. And then steal everyone else's. Yes just that good. These are one of the best cupcakes I've ever had and they will definitely be going on my list of favorite cupcakes that I will make time and time again. I think I'm going to want this in layered cake form for my birthday garnished with a few of the real thing.

If you haven't tried Mascarpone cheese (which makes up half the cannoli filling for the cupcake) then you must! It is the most heavenly cheese made. The texture and taste are somewhat similar to cream cheese yet so much better. It's fluffy and soft, with a light buttery sweetness to it. I could eat it by the spoonful. It's an Italian cheese so you will likely find it in the specialty cheese section of many grocery stores. The cost is about twice that of cream cheese but sometimes a little splurge is definitely worth it. Enjoy!  

Then one up close and personal pic. 

Wanna bite? I know I do.

Cannoli Cupcakes

Yields 1 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

2/3 cup Mascarpone cheese

2/3 cup Ricotta cheese, strained slightly*

5 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions:

For the cupcake ~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes, occasionally scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in eggs one at a time mixing until combine after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. With mixer set at low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix just until combine, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter per each). Bake in preheated oven 21 - 24 minutes until lightly golden and toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool cupcakes completely.

For the cannoli filling ~ In a small mixing bowl, using a rubber or silicone spatula, blend together Mascarpone and Ricotta cheese while running and pressing mixture along bottom of bowl to create a smooth texture while removing any lumps. Add in 5 Tbsp powdered sugar and mix until well blended.

For sweetened chocolate whipped cream ~ In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla until combine. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip until stiff peaks form. 

To assemble cupcakes ~ Spread about 1 1/2 Tbsp cannoli filling over the top of each cupcake, then pipe sweetened chocolate whipped cream over cupcakes. Garnish with mini chocolate chips. Serve within the next 3 hours (as the whipped cream will begin to break down after that). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

*Measurement taken before straining. To strain, I just placed the ricotta onto a layer of clean paper towels then wrapped it up and squeezed to strain out the liquids, then did this same step once more with a new batch of paper towels. You don't need all of the liquid removed just some of it. I used part skim Ricotta but whole milk Ricotta works too.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Tide and Thyme who adapted it from Fabulicious! by Teresa Giudice

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Glazed Doughnut Muffins

Mmmmm doughnuts. Who doesn't love them? I love that this version comes in muffin form and tastes just like cake doughnuts without being fried! Therefore they are easier, healthier, with less frying mess to clean up and they taste just as good as the real thing. I saw this recipe over on Fine Cooking and knew I had to try it. After reading through the reviews I made a few adaptations of my own to add flavor, increase muffin height, slightly change texture and opted to go for a doughnut glaze rather than a buttered cinnamon sugar coating. 
Now the only problem I have is that I want to eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner and dinner. I'm excited to try other variations of this muffin in the future (like orange cranberry, lemon poppy seed, dulce de leche, blueberry or jam filled, chocolate or pumpkin). Endless and delightfully delicious possibilities. Enjoy!

Glazed Doughnut Muffins
Yields 1 dozen

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and buttermilk, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using and electric hand mixer on medium speed, blend together butter and sugar until well combine, about 30 seconds. Mix in eggs one at a time mixing after each addiction. Blend in vanilla. Using a wooden spoon to mix, add flour mixture in three separate batches, alternating with two additions of the milk mixture, mixing just until combine after each addition (batter will be thick). Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups (in a non-stick muffin tin) filling each one nearly full (about 1/3 cup batter per each). Bake in preheated oven 15 - 20 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. 
During the last few minutes of cooling prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Dip each muffin in glaze, while twirling and rotating to evenly coat tops (and allowing it a few seconds to get a good layer of coating on), then lift and allow excess glaze to run off. Enjoy warm or allow cupcakes to rest at room temperature about 5- 10 minutes until glaze has set. Store in an airtight container.

*recipe updated 10/25/12, I made these a second time around today and omitted the lemon juice and used real buttermilk instead. If you don't have buttermilk, simply add just over a tsp of lemon juice to 1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk.

Recipe Source: adapted lightly from Fine Cooking

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Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

Aww, just look at all the gooey, soon to be stretched and strung (upon my no longer empty fork) cheese and dream of what could be yours =)! Italian comfort food at its finest.
The saying third times a charm, it's true. Yes this is my third attempt at creating what I'd envisioned, and at last a beautifully delicious success. 
The first time I tried Chicken Caprese lasagna roll ups - strange texture and not my favorite flavor, the second time around I omitted the chicken and made them using fresh Mozzarella - far to soupy and (I was expecting some liquid but I'm telling you half the baking dish was filled with the liquid from the fresh Mozza). The texture of the fresh Mozzarella seemed a little gummy when it melted too. So, the third time I went with a more traditional cheese feeling with the average low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese and lots of it, a bit of Parmesan for flavor and a little Ricotta for texture and glueage (I know that's not a word, but I say it should be). The egg white also helps glue and bind the mixture together, I decided to omit the yolk because I wanted to keep my cheese filling nice and white so it has that Caprese-y look. Besides, omitting the egg yolk is my attempt at making them healthier. That's laughable I know. I say cheese = calcium, so this is somehow good for me =). 
This dish has everything you find in the traditional Caprese flavors and many of the traditional lasagna flavors. Really this is lasagna simplified both in flavor and preparation. With that I don't mean to say their flavor is bland and boring, they are just simple yet incredible flavors. To create the Caprese style filling, you begin with a cheese filling that's mostly Mozzarella, then it's layered with fresh Roma tomato slices and sprinkled with fresh basil. Then you roll it up and top it with a simple marinara sauce made from crushed Roma tomatoes, and you sprinkle over more Mozzarella cheese, bake it and then garnish it with fresh basil ribbons. So, they are Caprese inside and out. I love the fresh flavors of this entree and all that heavenly cheese of course! Who knew vegetarian could be so good? Enjoy!

This is how the layering should look, this was attempt 2 with fresh Mozzarella (which I highly don't recommend). I just didn't want to take a third round of pictures of the prep, so the only difference when you make them will be the use of shredded mozzarella rather than the fresh Mozzarella in the bottom layer. The top picture was end result of recipe listed.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup Simple Marinara Sauce, recipe follows 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO  NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.
For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt). 
Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.


Simple Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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