You'll Never Guess the Filling for These Tasty Italian Cannolis

This cool and sweet treat comes from the original Italian cannoli,  a pastry traditionally filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese, sugar and vanilla or almond flavorings.

Some people find the texture of the ricotta not to their liking, so try this mini version made with a smooth marscapone cheese. Marscapone  cheese is available at Fresh Market or Publix, but can be pricey when doing a batch large enough for  a crowd.

I discovered  an easy recipe for homemade marscapone that fooled even my well-schooled Italian cooking friends and family! The phyllo dough cups make these sweet bite-sized pastries easy to do on short notice. The dessert is fancy enough for a get-together.   

Bite-Sized Cream Cheese Cannolis

• 2 package's of phyllo dough cups  (30), pre-baked
• 8 oz. of softened cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons of sour cream
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (liquid , not whipped)
• powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
•  1 tsp. almond extract
• sprinkles  

Let frozen phyllo dough cups stand at room temperature. In a large bowl, let cream cheese soften, about 5-10 minutes.

With a hand mixer, slowly whip cream cheese till smooth, but do not over beat. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar to taste. I add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Add almond extract and mix again slowly.

Scrape all of the mix into a gallon size zip loc bag. Refrigerate for about 40 minutes. When you are ready to fill phyllo dough cups, snip one very small corner off the zip loc bag!

Squeeze the mixture into each cup, and shake some sprinkles or mini chocolate chips on top. Serve immediately.

Note: You can refrigerate these, but long periods of time in the refrigerator makes the cups soft and chewy; they should be crisp. 

Doreen Brown is a personal chef and caterer. You may contact her at db883@tampabay.rr.com