Ham and Ricotta Cannoli, delicious, super easy, and especially beautiful to present at the table. I find them to be a tasty appetizer, ideal for Christmas lunch. The only downside is the care you need to take once they’re cold, when removing the steel cannoli mold. For this reason, I use those that have a vertical split, allowing them to be squeezed and reduced in size when extracting. Make sure to have the ham slices cut a bit thicker, otherwise, they might break easily, as consistency is important. Once ready, you can also fill them with other types of fillings; just let your imagination and taste guide you. Try this experience before the Christmas holidays to get the hang of it.
If you want to explore some other Christmas appetizers in advance, don’t miss the next recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 cannoli
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 6 slices thicker slices of prosciutto
- 4.2 oz ricotta
- 1.4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon heaped of whole yogurt
- to taste chopped pistachios
Tools
- 12 Molds for steel cannoli
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 piping bag nozzles
Preparation
Wrap our prosciutto slices, cut a bit thicker, around the steel cannoli mold, trying to form a spiral. Once this operation is finished, place the cannoli on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and gently extract, squeezing the steel cannoli mold on itself.
Prepare the filling by placing ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese, grated lemon zest, and yogurt in a bowl.
Mix all the ingredients well and fill a piping bag with the prepared mixture. Some disposable ones should already have the bottom cut where the nozzle is inserted. To facilitate the work, place the piping bag in a cylindrical container.
Once fully filled, squeeze the top end towards the end, so the mixture compacts, and gently fill the prosciutto cannoli. Once ready, garnish them externally with plenty of chopped pistachios.
Serve our Ham and Ricotta Cannoli immediately on a serving tray.
N.B. If you want to make smaller cannoli, a kind of finger food, cut the slice in half. You can place the two halves on the same mold, leaving a little space to separate them.
Tips
The prosciutto cannoli can be kept for one or two days in the refrigerator, but the filling will likely soften them.
If necessary, in view of an upcoming event, you can prepare the ingredients in advance, but assemble them only at the last minute.
If the filling I proposed does not suit your taste, feel free to unleash your creativity by filling them with whatever you like best.
