Cannoli Sandwich Cookies

Sometimes I have crazy ideas. Crazy food ideas. Taking one thing and turning it into another. That is what happened yesterday. It was all I could think about until I was able to hit the grocery store this morning for some of the necessary ingredients. Necessary ingredients because I had to make these cookies. It wasn't even an option anymore.

You know what my crazy idea was? I was going to turn a classic Italian Cannoli into a cookie. Why? Because I thought it would be good. Because I was inspired by RecipeGirl, but I don't have time or patience (yet) to make Cannoli from scratch. Because Cannoli is good. Because Cookies are good. Because Eric wouldn't stop saying "Katie's Cannoli Cookies."

And so I made them. They were good. They were very very good.

Katie's Cannoli Cookies (as dubbed by Eric)
a goodLife {eats} creation

• 1 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c finely chopped pistachios
• cannoli filling, recipe follows
• melted chocolate, recipe follows

Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beat till combined.

Combine flour, baking powder, zest, and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture. Beat at medium speed. Stir in pistachios.

Shape dough into 2 - 6 inch logs. Wrap with wax paper and freeze until firm. Slice frozen dough into 1/8 inch thick rounds. Place rounds on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned at edges. Cool 1 minute on pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes enough for 2 dozen sandwiches.

Fill with cannoli filling. Assemble sandwiches and drizzle with melted chocolate. Cool in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened.

Cannoli Filling
adapted from RecipeGirl

• 3/4 c whole milk ricotta (drained overnight with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer and squeezed dry)
  
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1/3 c powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together. Fill a pastry bag or ziplock bag with filling. Chill until ready to use. To fill sandwiches, pipe filling on the underside of one cookie. Top cookie with another.

Melted Chocolate

• 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tsp shortening

Melt chocolate and shortening together. Drizzle over assembled cookies.