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Cannoli Trifle

Source of Recipe

From "It's Not Complicated" by Katie Lee


Recipe Introduction

"Ryan and I took a trip to Sicily last summer, and I made it my mission to try as many cannoli as possible. He's not as hot on them as I am, but he still joined in on the fun. I think the best was at a small bakery, tucked in a side street in Taormina. I actually don't need to travel far to get my number-one cannoli, though; it's right here in New York City at my all-time favorite restaurant, Emilio's Ballato. What I love the most about a cannoli is the filling, all that creamy ricotta and chocolate chips, with just a touch of orange. I decided to try making this for a dinner party or to take along the next time you're invited to someone's house. The longer it sits, the better it gets, so you can make it in advance and everyone will swoon."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ One 15 ¼-ounce box yellow cake mix, mixed and baked according to package instructions for a 9-by-13-inch cake
â—¦ 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
â—¦ 3 cups heavy cream
â—¦ ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
â—¦ 1 pound fresh ricotta
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 2 cups mini chocolate chips
â—¦ 2 cups toasted, chopped pistachios


Recipe

Brush the baked cake with the orange liqueur. Set aside to soak in while you make the filling.

Beat the cream and confectioners' sugar to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Reserve 2 cups of the whipped cream for the top of the trifle. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, vanilla, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a large bowl. Fold in the whipped cream until well combined. Crumble or cube the soaked cake into large pieces.

Spoon or pipe one-third of the filling into the bottom of a trifle or serving dish. Sprinkle one-quarter of the pistachios over the filling, then top with one-third of the cake. Repeat the layers twice more with the remaining ingredients, finishing with the filling and reserving ½ cup of the pistachios for topping. Top the trifle with the reserved whipped cream. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the reserved pistachios and the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips. Serve chilled.

Makes 8 to 10 servings