Cannoli Arancini with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Arancini and cannoli collide in these aptly named Cannoli Arancini. Coated and fried in cannoli shell crumbs, these orbs of sweet orange spice risotto give way to a molten center of dark chocolate ganache.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Chilling Time 3

Course Dessert

Servings 24 cannoli

Equipment

Candy Thermometer
Large, deep skillet

Ingredients

5 cups milk I used 2%
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 star anise pods
8 green cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1¼ cup arborio rice
1 cup full-fat ricotta
225g (8oz) good quality dark chocolate finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
250g (9oz) cannoli shells
4 cups canola oil for frying

Instructions

Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Place over medium-low and heat until on the verge of simmering. Add the sugar, orange zest, vanilla, star anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and salt.
Transfer the saucepan to the back burner and set the heat as low as possible. You don't want the milk to boil at any point. You just want to keep it on the verge of simmering.
Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Stir in the rice and toast it until it begins to crackle and emit a nutty aroma. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
Once the rice is toasted, begin adding the milk mixture to the rice two ladlesful at a time. Stir the rice frequently and wait for the previous addition to be absorbed before adding more milk. Repeat this process until the rice is creamy and tender.
Take the risotto off of the heat and stir in the ricotta. Transfer the risotto to a resealable container and chill for at least 3 hours.
Once the risotto is finished, make the ganache. Place the chocolate in a large bowl and set aside.
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until steam gathers on the surface of the cream and small bubbles begin to break around the edges. Take the cream off of the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute or two before whisking the chocolate into the cream to form a thick, glossy ganache. Cover the ganache and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
When you're ready to form the arancini, heat a melon baller with a little hot water. Using the melon baller, scoop out individual servings of the ganache, and set aside. Take 2 tablespoons of the chilled risotto and form a disc in our palm. Place a scoop of ganache in the center of that disc and enrobe it with the risotto. Refine the shape of the arancini and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you run out of risotto. If you would like further clarification on shaping the arancini, check out the video in this post.
Once all the arancini are formed, it's time to bread them. Pour the flour into a bowl and set aside. Crack the eggs into another bowl and lightly beat them, set aside. Place the cannoli shells in a large food processor and blitz until they reach a fine crumb. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
Roll the arancini first in the flour, followed by the egg, and finally in the cannoli crumbs. Repeat until all the arancini have been breaded.
Pour the oil into a large heavy bottom pot and place over medium-high heat. Heat the oil to 350°F. Drop 4-5 arancini into the oil and fry until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the fried arancini to a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet and let cool slightly.
Serve the arancini warm with a dusting of confectioner's sugar and a twist of orange. **

Notes

** If you don't want to eat all of the arancini right away, leave them to cool completely then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet in the freezer and freeze them for 1 hour before transferring them to a freezer bag and freezing them completely. When you're ready to enjoy one, simply preheat the oven to 375°F and bake them from frozen for 15 minutes.

Keyword arancini, cannoli, dark chocolate, ganache