Long time no talk friends! I’m rather embarrassed that I haven’t posted on here for a whole month. A whole month! Yikes! I guess that’s what happens when you decide to plan a two week trip to Europe in one month. Yeah…that just happened. Jake and I just successfully pulled off a trip to Italy, Germany and Austria, and we booked all of our flights, hotels, etc. one month prior to leaving. I guess you could consider that adventurous? But, I think “crazy” is more like it.
I’ll admit, booking a two week trip in such a small amount of time is no small feat, and it certainly didn’t come without a few bumps along the way. Like, we accidentally booked a train/flight at the wrong time and didn’t find out until the night before. We also booked a hotel in the red light district of Frankfurt, which wasn’t sketchy at all. Let’s just say we learned one big lesson after this trip: give yourself more time than you think you need to plan that two week trip. You’ll thank me.
I’m super duper excited to share pictures with you soon from the trip (did you see any of them on Instagram?), but for now I want to share a new recipe with you inspired by Italy!
When we were in Italy, we gorged ourselves on plenty of pizza, pasta, gelato, and pastries. Every morning for breakfast we’d go pick up a sfogliatelle pastry from a little cafe or bakery. I’m a sucker for that flaky goodness filled with creamy filling.
Honestly, I kind of wish I was sharing a recipe for one of those pastries today. But, on the other hand I just got back from a two week trip and have been suffering from some crazy jet lag this past week. So today, we’re keeping things simple. Real simple. Like “four ingredients is all you need” simple (well, technically there’s six, but you get what I mean). I don’t think anyone can complain about that.
One of my favorite Italian pastries, besides sfogliatelle of course, is cannoli. That crunchy shell paired with the sweet ricotta filling is the perfect combination. The problem with cannoli is that it takes a serious amount of time and energy to make. And sometimes I really just don’t have the patience for that. Like today for instance. Today I am all about taking the easy road with this cannoli dip.
This dip tastes just the real thing, but without putting nearly as much work into it. It’s so easy and so good! Might I add that this dip tastes divine with strawberries, and I bet it would taste great with other dippers too. I guess it’s worth experimenting with?
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Cannoli Dip tastes just like the rich, creamy filling of a cannoli without all of the hassle. A couple of ingredients and 5 minutes are all you need to whip up this perfect party pleaser.
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- graham crackers, strawberries, waffle cones, etc.
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In a large bowl, add ricotta, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and continue beating for 30 more seconds.
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Taste the dip, and add up to 1/2 cup of additional powdered sugar as desired.
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Gently fold chocolate chips into the dip. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the dip.
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Serve dip immediately with dippers of your choice. Strawberries, graham crackers, waffle cones, and pizzelle cookies are great options!
Adapted from Homemade Hooplah.
If your ricotta is a bit watery you can strain it. Line a colander with a cheese cloth and strain the ricotta by pressing it with a rubber spatula until most of the liquid has drained. Paper towels can also be used in place of the cheese cloth.
You’ll also love my Chocolate Fondue!
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