Cannoli Rolls
The classic Italian dessert re-imagined into breakfast rolls. Sweet, salty, and juuust chocolaty enough. Weekend brunch will never be the same.
Equipment
- Dough Hook Attachment for KitchenAid
- Dental Floss
- Dish Towel
Ingredients
Rolls
- 3.5 Cups White Flour
- 1 Cup Warm Milk (NOT hot!)
- 1 Egg whisked
- 1/4 Cup Melted Butter
- 5 TBS Sugar
- 2.5 tsp Rapid-Rise Yeast (also called "Instant")
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Filling
- 1.5 Cups Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 Crushed Waffle Cones
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Icing
- 3.5 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 Cup Milk or Heavy Cream
Instructions
Prepare the Yeast
- Combine the warm milk, melted butter, 5 TBS sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when it's bubbly.
Make the Dough
- When the yeast is done, whisk in 1 egg, followed by the flour, then salt. If you have one, use a dough hook to mix it together, as it will go much faster. Dough will be sticky to the touch.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for approximately 3 minutes.
- Coat a bowl with cooking spray or butter, and put the ball of dough into the bowl, covering with a wet dish towel. Let rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature, or the warmest place in your house. It's done when it is twice it's original size.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 egg, 1/2 C sugar, and vanilla.
- Crush 2 waffle cones into small pieces (not dust!) and set aside, with the chocolate chips.
Assemble the Rolls
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish, and Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- Again on your lightly floured surface, roll your dough into a 9x13 rectangle.
- Spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the rectangle.
- Sprinkle on chocolate chips, and waffle cone pieces.
- Starting length-wise, roll your rectangle dough into itself, covering the layer of filling. Roll it as tightly as you can, until it becomes a nice round tube. Press the ends together to keep the filling in, and seal the seam with a tiny bit of water on your fingers.
- Using your dental floss, pinch the rolls into 12 even pieces. Start with the floss underneath the roll, then pull the two sides together and cross them over. You CAN use a knife, but this is a much cleaner way to cut the rolls without ripping the dough.
- Assemble the rolls in your baking dish, placed as evenly apart as possible.
- Place your wet dishtowel over the top of the baking dish, and let your rolls rise again for 30 minutes, or until they're double the size they started.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until just barely golden brown.
Frosting
- Combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk or heavy cream in a mixer. Add powdered sugar or milk until you have the consistency you'd like. The measurements I've provided give you a thicker icing consistency that drizzles well, but sets up fast.
- Pour the icing over the rolls about 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. If desired, top with more crushed waffle cones. Serve hot.
Notes
I've never made bread dough without a dough hook, but I know you can use a regular hand mixer. Just be careful not to overbeat the dough, or it won't rise properly.
Be CERTAIN to use the rapid-rise yeast, as this recipe won't work with regular yeast.
Do not try to substitute any non-dairy milk or egg substitutes in this recipe, I can't guarantee how it will turn out!