Description
Holy Cannoli Cookies are a delightful Italian Christmas treat featuring a soft, puffy cookie base enriched with ricotta cheese and flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and fresh orange zest. These cookies are studded with mini chocolate chips and crunchy pistachios, then finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate for an irresistible festive indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
Chocolate Drizzle
- 9 ounces mini chocolate chips (for melting and drizzling)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, blend in the eggs followed by the ricotta cheese until fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and fresh orange zest, mixing well to distribute the flavors evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir these in until well combined. Then slowly mix in the all-purpose flour to form a soft cookie dough. Fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips and the chopped pistachios evenly throughout the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to chill and firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them to prevent the cookies from sticking during baking.
- Scoop Cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, drop approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 11 minutes, or until they turn golden brown around the edges. Once done, remove from the oven and let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt Chocolate for Drizzle: Place the remaining 9 ounces of mini chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
- Drizzle Chocolate: Spoon the melted chocolate into a small resealable bag and snip off a tiny corner to create a piping tip. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies evenly. Allow the chocolate to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- Some brands of chocolate chips melt better than others for drizzling; semisweet or dark chocolate bars can be used as a good alternative.
- The cookies do not require refrigeration after baking; store them in an airtight container or bag similar to other cookies.
- Orange zest preference varies—adjust the quantity or omit it to suit your taste.
- For thick, puffy cookies like in the photos, ensure the dough is very cold before baking and use good quality parchment paper and baking sheets.
- Feel free to substitute mini chocolate chips and pistachios with your favorite baking chips and nuts.
- You can replace or complement the vanilla extract with almond extract or fiori di sicilia for different flavor notes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
