In partnership with Chocolove.
Is there anything more addictive than salty-sweet pretzel bites coated in a thick layer of rich dark chocolate?! Well, it might just be pretzel cannoli stuffed with creamy chocolate filling & rolled in crushed candy. More is more, right?These are a fun twist on one of Italy’s most popular desserts. I have to admit that I could eat this entire bag of pretzel bites in one sitting. You can even prep the shells and filling separately ahead of time, then assemble them at the last minute for a get-together!
I adore cannoli but I almost always make them as mini cups. Most single-function tools like cannoli forms just don’t make the cut in a small kitchen with limited storage.
My favorite new trick is using dry pasta shells instead of metal forms! Now that I know I can just wrap cannelloni or manicotti shells in foil, I’ll be making proper cannoli a lot more often. Plus the pasta is still perfectly good to cook afterwards, so it’s a win-win without extra waste.
I kept the traditional orange zest in the cannoli filling, but you can omit it if orange & chocolate isn’t your thing. Roll the dough as thiiiiin as you possibly can without tearing for crispier pretzel shells.
Enjoy the weekend & treat yourself to really good chocolate!
Dark Chocolate Pretzel Cannoli
Ingredients
Pretzel Cannoli Shells
- 1/8 oz. active dry yeast about 1/2 packet
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 2 T. butter melted
- 1 T. sugar
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 cups flour
- nonstick spray
- 1 egg
- coarse salt
Dark Chocolate Cannoli Filling
- 1 orange zested
- 1 T. sugar
- 3 oz. dark chocolate melted
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta
- 8 oz. mascarpone
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/2 cup Chocolove Dark Chocolate Pretzels crushed, or equal parts chopped dark chocolate & pretzels
Instructions
Pretzel Cannoli Shells
- Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
- Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Let rest for 5 minutes to dissolve.
- Turn the mixer on low and pour in melted butter, sugar, and salt. Slowly add flour and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticking to the sides of the bowl.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until paper-thin. Use a 6" cookie cutter (or bowl traced with a paring knife) to cut 12 circles out of the dough. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a pastry brush.
- Spray your cannoli forms with nonstick oil, then drape dough over the form. Brush egg over one edge, then press the other edge on top to create a tight roll. Repeat for remaining dough.
- Brush tops and sides of dough with remaining egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 425°F / 220°C for 18-20 minutes, or until deeply browned.
- Remove shells from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then carefully slide off the forms.
Dark Chocolate Cannoli Filling
- While shells are baking, make the filling. Use your fingertips to rub zest and sugar together in a large bowl to release the oils from the zest and make everything wonderful.
- Beat together orange sugar, melted chocolate, ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Scoop into a large resealable bag and chill in the fridge until shells are baked.
- Snip a corner of the filling bag and pipe into the shells. Gently press the open ends into the crushed dark chocolate pretzel bites.
Notes
Print Recipe
We had these at Connects Workspace (Golden, CO) today. While they look deceptively sweet, they are unbelievably smooth and balanced. Perfect all on their own . . . without coffee or tea. The texture, too, was a nice surprise. They don’t fall apart when you bit into them. You’re right. I could make a whole batch disappear in one sitting!
Thanks Debi! I’m so glad you liked them.