As I have mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of shopping. This applies not only to clothing, but to almost all of the purchases I make in my life. From big expenditures like homes and cars to tiny acquisitions like cleaning supplies and food, I just don’t enjoy spending time tracking down ‘things’ to purchase. Yet, every week I am required to shop. At the very minimum I have to hunt and gather groceries for the coming seven days; but often other special items appear on the “to purchase” list as well (things like puppy diapers and organizational trays).
This morning I was touring the aisles of a vegetarian-friendly healthy food store, when I turned the corner and entered the bakery area. Normally I just breeze past this section of the store (as I generally don’t have any need or strong desire for mammoth muffins or loaves of bread as long as my torso), but for whatever reason, my peripheral vision caught sight of a display of mini-pastries. A gleaming glass case contained delectable treats in very reasonable one-ounce sizes: cheesecakes, fruit tarts, éclairs, petit fours, tortes, cookies…and cannoli. Since each treat was pretty inexpensive, I figured oh-what-the-heck: let’s have today be the day I try cannoli.
So I did. I purchased a chocolate-chip cannoli.
Ingredients: shell (flour, eggs, butter, honey, salt, vanilla, cinnamon); filling (butter, cream cheese, ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest); mini chocolate chips.
As I bit into one end of the treat, I was surprised by how very light and flaky the shell was. I think I was expecting something a bit more dense – like a sugar cookie or a waffle cone. So to bite into an exterior that had the texture and flavor of a very airy pie crust was unexpected (but good). I was also surprised by how mild the filling was. It had only a hint of sweetness and creamy/cheesiness to it; enough to be noticed, but only if I was paying attention.
The way the cannoli was constructed, I had two bites that contained miniature chocolate chips, and two bites that were without the cocoa additions. I preferred the confection with the chocolate – the cocoa added just a bit of “depth” and “darkness” to the treat, so that it felt more like a true dessert to my American palate.
I could see this pastry make a lovely pairing with any number of coffee beverages (latte, cappuccino, Americano, a regular cup of java), or even a cup of cocoa for non-coffee drinkers. That being said, I wasn’t particularly “wowed” by the cannoli. It was nice and fine, but not mind-blowingly spectacular to me. I don’t think I would order this dessert in a restaurant or select it again in a bakery – but if someone happened to offered another to me, I would eat it without complaint. 🙂
Stef
Smile, kiddo. 
Cannoli (and Italian pastry in general) has never been my favorite. It often is cloyingly sweet, and this one sounds like an exception, which is good.
But the idea of mini-pastries is delightful! Just one or two bites to satisfy the sweet tooth is the perfect amount. Maybe next time you’ll test a French one?
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Mini pastries are fantastic! I also appreciate the notion of just a few sweet bites to end a meal. I would test a French pastry, except I think I’ve tried them all already! 🙂
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To me that is no obstacle, Stef. It’s more an incentive!
😉
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For the purposes of daily living, I absolutely agree. But for the purposes of the 101 list, I’m keeping myself focused on things I have never done before – to push myself to experience new encounters instead of staying in a comfortable bubble of familiarity. But should a sweet tooth hit and the store be nearby, I may have to indulge in an éclair. (One of my favorites…) 🙂
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Italian as I am, I am not a fan of cannoli. Your description makes it sound much better than I remember. Size wise, I struggle. If someone put a chocolate cream pie in front of me, I would devour the entire delectible piece of culinary art. Probably by shoving my face into it. I’m working on self control and smaller portions. It ain’t easy 😦
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Self control can be difficult for me, especially when I encounter something I *really* like! So the 1-ounce sized treat was the perfect portion for me. 🙂
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I’ve never had a cannoli either, even though I’ve had plenty of opportunities. They always look so heavy and rich and bland, not so appetizing. I think I should follow your link and take a bite once. I need to find a small one though, in case I don’t like it and have to get rid of it!
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The cannoli I had wasn’t heavy or rich, but it was pretty bland. If you can find a mini-sized one, I vote to go for it! 🙂
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