Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Cannoli
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Prepare the cannoli shells if you are making them yourself.
Make the filling
Combine the ricotta and sugar.
Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Fill and chill
Fill shells with the ricotta mixture, using a piping bag if desired.
Cool cannoli in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/2 cup (124g) part-skim | 174 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Icing | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Cream + chocolatetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,466 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + chocolatetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,404 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Ricotta cheese + chocolatetop 28% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together76 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Ricotta cheese + creamtop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124 recipes
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ricotta cheese
- Provides the creamy, thick body of the filling.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the ricotta filling.
- Whipped cream
- Lightens the filling and makes it smoother and softer.
- Chocolate chips
- Add melted-texture pockets of chocolate flavour and sweetness.
The step that matters
Fill and chill. Filling the shells just before serving keeps them crisp, because moisture from the ricotta filling softens the pastry over time.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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