Cannoli Pancakes

Where are all my cannoli lovers?  I see you and I have the perfect weekend pancakes for you!!  Delicious fluffy pancakes stuffed with a creamy cannoli filling with chocolate chips. These yummy pancakes will have you doing the happy food dance or put you in a mini food coma.  Either way, you are going to love them and keep you coming back for more!

Ingredients

Cannoli Filling:

  • 1 cup (250 grams) whole milk ricotta cheese, drained and dried*
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup (125 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
  • ¾ cup (130 grams) mini chocolate chips

Buttermilk Pancakes:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (473 grams) buttermilk
  • ¼ cup (54 grams) vegetable oil (you can use canola, coconut or olive oil)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (4 grams) fine kosher salt
  • Cooking spray or butter, for the griddle

Making the Cannoli Filling: 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, beat mascarpone until light and fluffy (2 minutes).
Add *dry ricotta cheese, whisking until fully combined.
Add extracts, salt and confectioners’ sugar until well combined.
Fold in chocolate chips and refrigerate until ready to use.

The night before you are going to make the yummy pancakes, place the ricotta over a cheese cloth lined fine sieve to get rid of the moisture. Place in the refrigerator.  Before adding the ricotta to the mascarpone, squeeze out any remaining liquid.

Making the Pancake Batter:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla, whisking until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and fine sea salt.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be lumpy.
**Let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes or up to a half hour.

**Importance of Resting Your Pancake Batter:

The first thing a good rest does is allow time for the flour to hydrate. Since you want to avoid overmixing your pancake batter — this is key to preventing chewy pancakes — you might stop mixing when a few small lumps of flour remain. Resting the batter gives the milk (or water, or buttermilk) time to soften the flour and dissolve any remaining lumps. While the batter is resting, the liquid helps release some of the starches and proteins in the flour that will give the pancakes lift without making them tough.

While the flour is hydrating, another important thing is happening: The leavening has time to evenly distribute throughout the batter. Whether your recipe calls for baking powder or whipped egg whites to give it lift, bubbles of air are ultimately responsible for puffing the pancakes as they cook. The even distribution of those bubbles results in pancakes that rise more evenly (no humps) with a tender crumb. ∼Kitchn

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.

2. Grease well and pour in pancake batter. I used a heaping half cup, but you can use a quarter cup if you would like a smaller pancake.

3. Wait until you start to see the batter bubble (this takes about two minutes), then flip and cook for another minute.

4. Place the cooked pancakes in the oven on a low (warm) temperature.

5. Continue with the rest of the batter.

6. Remove cannoli filling from the fridge. Top, fold or layer pancakes with cannoli filling.
Garnish with your choice of toppings.  I dusted mine with a little confectioners’ sugar, raspberries and mint leaves.  Enjoy!!
I hope you make these delicious cannoli pancakes, and if you do, please tag me on Instagram @goodeatsbymimi.  I would love to hear from you and see your photos!

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