In this column we are sharing the cuisine and recipes of Italy and our Italian American communities. Each month we feature recipes curated from our research and those shared by LGI readers. Food and cooking are important aspects of our cultural identity and sharing recipes is one way for us to connect to our roots and to one another! We invite you to share your family recipes and the stories behind them with us! For our June issue, we would like to feature your dishes, so if you have a special recipe, we would love to hear from you! Please email your recipes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before May 10. We also love photographs, so please feel free to share a photograph of your family making or enjoying the recipe; or of a beloved family member who is or was the “cook” in your family!
Cannoli Pound Cake
dalla cucina di Roslyn Torella
This recipe is an adaption of the mouthwatering Sicilian dessert – cannoli! I chose this recipe because I love cannoli but do not always have the time or patience to make the shells. What I love the most about cannoli is the creamy taste of the ricotta and the sweetness of the chocolate chips paired with the nutty flavor of the pistachios! In May we celebrate Mother’s Day and this little cake would be a perfect treat for moms and grandmas. It is something that children can easily make with the help of a parent!
In curating this recipe, I was interested to learn the origin of cannoli. I knew they were of Sicilian origin but not much more. The word cannoli comes from the Sicilian word cannolo, which means “little tube” in the Sicilian dialect. There are disputes as to the exact origin of cannoli but most of the legends point to the Sicilian town of Caltanisetta between 827-1091 AD when Sicily was under Arabic rule. The first legend is that they were made by the concubines who lived in the harems of an Arabic prince as a way to honor him and (forgive me as I am only reporting what I found) his private part!
A second legend is that the cannoli was invented by the nuns at a convent to serve at Carnevale and that its shape was a symbol of fertility (you know what I am referring to). I think we can all agree that whether it was the concubines or the nuns who invented the cannoli, they came up with a wonderful treat! Buon appetito!
Ingredients (Serves 12):
1 ½ C. Sugar
¾ C. Softened butter
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
3 large Eggs
1 Orange, zested
1 ½ C. All-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Nutmeg
½ C. Mini chocolate chips
½ C. Shelled pistachios, lightly chopped
Powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or Bundt pan) with butter and line with parchment paper, leave extra around the edges to serve as a handle. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix the butter and sugar until well blended and the color is light (about 2-3 minutes). Add in the ricotta and mix until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add in the orange zest and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the other bowl and beat until just combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips and the pistachios.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with extra chocolate chips. Bake on the center rack for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the edges and lift it out using the parchment to ease it out. Let the loaf cool completely and sprinkle on the powdered sugar if desired.
