Cannoli Chip & Dip

Very few things drive me crazier than having to fry cannoli shells and praying that they don't come apart, filling 25 small cannoli shells with the cannoli filling and stressing over if the shells lose their crunch because of the moisture... VERY few things. So to deal with this issue, I've found it easier to make it into cannoli chip and dip instead of the traditional tube (I'd occasionally make them the traditional way for esthetic purposes)


Cannoli Chips:
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup all purpose flour
2. 1 tbsp white sugar
3. 1 egg
4. 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
5. 1/2 tsp white vinegar
6. 1/4 cup water
7. 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
8. Canola/vegetable oil for frying
OPTIONAL: 9. Cinnamon sugar for coating chips in while they're still hot.
OPTIONAL: 10. Powdered sugar for dusting.

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. You may want to add more flour depending on how wet & sticky the dough is at this point.
2. Roll dough out on a generously floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Cut touch as desired (I like cutting it in 3 inch rounds but you can cut it however large or small you'd like. You can even cut the entire rolled dough into triangular shaped-chips)
4. Fill frying pan with about 1 inch of oil and fry on low heat until chips are crispy and golden brown (about 45 seconds to 1 minute)
5. Drain on paper towel.
6. If desired, toss chips in cinnamon sugar as soon as they're fried.


Cannoli Dip: 
Ingredients:
1. 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2. 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3. 2 tbsp heavy cream
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla
5. 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
6. 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Method:
1. Strain ricotta in cheese cloth/strainer to get rid of any excess liquid.
2. Beat mascarpone, ricotta, heavy cream & vanilla together until thoroughly combined.
3. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined (you can add more or less powdered sugar according to how sweet you'd like it)
4. You can also use waffle cones broken up into little pieces if you don't want to make your own.
5. Fold mini chocolate chips into the mixture (you can add more or less)
6. Top with more chocolate chips.


Tips:
1. You can use this same dough recipe to make traditional cannoli. You'd just need more oil for frying & metal cannoli tubes. Can be found here
2. You can add whatever additional ingredients to the dip such as pistachios (common in traditional Italian cannoli), other nuts, candied fruit peel etc.
3. Traditionally, cannoli are made with ricotta so you can use 1 1/2 cups if you can't find or don't want to use mascarpone.

S'mores No-Machine Ice Cream

I am probably the least patient person in the entire universe (with a love for ice cream), so making it using the traditional method obviously does NOT cut it for me. Inspired by one of my favourite YouTubers, Gemma Stafford of Bigger Bolder Baking, I created my own version of this no-machine ice cream that tastes like I spent hours slaving over it. S'mores is one of my favourite variations to it but you can literally make any flavour you like!


Ingredients:
1 pint (1 cup) of heavy whipping cream
1 tin of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of mini marshmallows
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips/regular chocolate chips/chocolate chunks/chopped chocolate
3 T cup graham cracker crumbs (you can also break the whole cracker into pieces)

Method:
1. Whip cream until stiff peaks form (be sure not to over-beat as it will turn into butter)
2. Once whipped, add condensed milk and whip until it is fully incorporated into cream.
3. Gently fold marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers into batter.
4. Put into freezer friendly/ice-cream friendly containers and freeze for at least 6 hours.
5. Scoop, serve & enjoy! :)

Tips:
1. Chilling the mixing bowl and whisk attachment will help in ensuring that your cream properly whips.
2. You can add as little or as many add-ins as you like (my favourite is marshmallows)

Funnel Cake

I like to call this the "American Galebi". Reminiscent of the carefree, worry-free, stress-free days spent at Disney, I make this whenever the Orlando travel bug bites but I can't hop on a flight. PS: They take JUST like waffles- only fried! *insert heart face emoji*


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups milk
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
Vegetable/canola oil for frying

Method:
1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Mix all wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry & mix until well-combined until there are no lumps.
4. Pour into ketchup bottle or any bottle with a thin tip (but big enough so batter can easily come out- I cut a little more off of the tip of the ketchup bottle)
5. Pour into oil in circles, starting small & gradually creating bigger loops.
6. Fry until golden-brown (about 2 minutes) & flip. Fry for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
7. Drain on paper towel.
8. Dress as desired! I love a generous dusting of powdered sugar but you can do anything from caramel to chocolate sauce to Nutella to jelly!


Tips:
1. Minis make lovely treats for a tea party or for gifts.
2. The first one (similarly with pancakes & waffles) is usually the worst- feel free to discard!
3. You can freeze the uneaten funnel cakes & toast just like you would prepare frozen waffles.

Chocolate Covered Oreos

This past Valentines' Day, I decided to offer chocolate covered oreos for order. Surprisingly, their demand was almost as high as my chocolate covered strawberries! (See http://asmdesserts.blogspot.com/2016/10/chocolate-covered-strawberries.html for recipe and instructions for my chocolate covered strawberries)

As a result, these were keepers as the ingredients are literally always readily available! *happy dance emoji*

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup of chocolate chips/melting chocolate of choice (white, dark, milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet etc)
2. 1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil. N.B. I usually use semi-sweet chocolate so this is the amount of oil required for it!
3. 10-12 Oreos
OPTIONAL: 4. Toppings of choice (sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, edible glitter, chocolate flakes etc)

Special tools needed:
1. Oreo mould.
Can be found here: https://amazon.com/Plain-Cookie-Chocolate-candy-party/dp/B007N75XEG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478223615&sr=8-2&keywords=oreo+mold


Method:
1. Melt chocolate over double boiler (method in Chocolate Covered Strawberries post linked above)
2. Let cool a little before handling.
3. If adding toppings, add toppings into mould, making sure to cover the base.
4. Fill moulds about a third of the way up with melted chocolate.
5. Add Oreo to mould, slightly pressing into chocolate but not letting the Oreos touch the bottom of the mould as they can show through (aesthetic purposes!)
6. Fill the rest of the mould with the melted chocolate, making sure not to overfill them!
7. Gently pick up the mould and drop on a flat surface for the tops (which will be the bottom of the finished products) to ensure that they're as smooth as possible & to ensure that no air bubbles are snuggled throughout.
8. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
9. Remove finished cookies from the mould by gently popping them out (no worries, the mould will get back to its normal shape!)
10. Drizzle with more chocolate if desired!

Tips:
1. Depending on the type of chocolate you'll be using, you may need to use more or less oil. For example, white chocolate will require more oil whereas dark chocolate won't require as much.
2. You can use any cookie of choice as long as it fits the mould. Feel free to get creative!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

The Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Valentine's Day bestseller, chocolate covered strawberries are one of the easiest desserts to make. These were one of the first desserts I offered, and one of the most-loved by my clients. Besides being the least time-consuming, they're also one of the most appreciated. This is my go-to treat for get togethers, presents & just to have as a random snack. At the end is a video of how I make my chocolate strawberries. Disclaimer: It is NOT professional and was recorded with my iPhone 6S. 



Ingredients:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil (any flavourless oil will work)
12 to 18 strawberries (washed, drained & pat-dried) 
Toppings of choice (I used mini semi sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli), sprinkles & edible glitter in the video)

Utensils: 
Small pot (for double boiler)
Small/medium heat resistant bowl (for double boiler) 
Spatula/whisk
Toothpicks
Baking tray
Parchment paper 
Small/medium bowls according to quantity (to make dipping berries into bigger toppings like mini chocolate chips & big sprinkles easier)

Tips: 
1. Make sure water in pot doesn't touch bowl. This can scorch chocolate & cause it to burn or seize.
2. Start on low heat, especially if you're a beginner as this can also scorch chocolate & cause it to burn or seize.
3. Make sure bowl is dry, any excess moisture can also mess with the consistency of the chocolate
4. Experiment with different chocolate brands to get to know which ones work right for you. Different ones may be perfect for you for different purposes. For example, Hershey's chocolate chips are best for coating strawberries for me whereas Hershey's & Nestle make the best chocolate fudge. Wilton Candy Melts are best for coating cake pops & truffles & as a chocolate drizzle.