Cannoli Cream Pastry Cups

The moment I saw the email from Pillsbury, I knew I'd be making these sweet little cannoli cups.  I love cannoli and crave them every time Marie serves them up on Everybody Loves Raymond. These are so easy to make - in less than 30 minutes they are ready to serve. They also travel well unassembled, so they make a great little take-along dessert or gift for someone {just be sure to keep the filling cold}. 

I know there's no pumpkin involved in this recipe, but I think it just might be my autumn go-to dessert. I might try replacing the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the pastry with pumpkin pie spice. Hmmm...oh, the possibilities.

Fill the cups just before serving, otherwise the pastry may get soggy. One reviewer also added a tablespoon of cream cheese to her filling to make it thicker, but mine turned out fine following the original recipe. You can use regular granulated sugar on the crust, but it won't provide the same crunch as turbinado.

Just a reminder...if you haven't entered the August giveaway yet, there's only two days left. There's {FOUR} chances to win! 

Mini Cannoli Cream Pastry Cups

Filling
1 container (15 oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cups
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Garnish

1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

additional powdered sugar 

In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Place in 1-gallon resealable food-storage bag; refrigerate while making cups. 

Heat oven to 425. On lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle each crust with sugar and cinnamon. Lightly roll rolling pin over sugar and cinnamon to press into pastry. With 2 1/2 -to 3-inch round cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Lightly press each pastry into ungreased mini-muffin cup. Bake about 10 minutes or until pastry cups are golden brown. Cool completely in pans, about 15 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling racks.

Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator. Snip bottom corner off bag; pipe scant tablespoon filling into cooled pastry cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Serve immediately.  Store any remaining pastry cups at room temperature and filling in refrigerator. Makes about 48 mini cups.