cheat’s lemon and pistachio cannoli

Plate of lemon filled cannoli with chopped pistachio. Recipe from Vegan Fakeaway by Katy Beskow.

cheat’s lemon and pistachio cannoli

Recipe from Vegan Fakeaway by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £15) Photography © Luke Albert.

Cannoli are classic Italian sweet snacks, with a sweet case, creamy filling and pistachios. The tubes can be quite tricky to make, so I’ve created this cheat’s version, using baked mini tortilla wraps, flavoured with cinnamon sugar. Choose mild or ‘original’ flavour vegan cream cheese to make the filling, as this has a similar flavour and texture to mascarpone cheese.

Makes 8 / Serves 4

8 mini soft tortilla wraps

2 tsp sunflower oil

1 tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

400g (14oz) mild vegan cream cheese

2 tsp good-quality vanilla extract

finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons

6 tbsp icing (confectioner’s) sugar

4 tbsp shelled pistachios, finely chopped

get ahead

The cannoli shells can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container. Fill the cannoli with the lemon cream just before serving.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Tear off eight 10cm (4in) pieces of foil and roll them into long cylinders. Place one in the centre of each mini tortilla and roll the tortilla around it. The foil cylinders will hold the centres of the tubes open during cooking. Place the tortilla rolls seam side down on a baking tray.

Brush the tortilla rolls all over with sunflower oil. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle this over the rolls. Bake in the oven for 7–10 minutes, then carefully remove the tray from the oven and use tongs to turn the rolls over.

Return to the oven to bake for a further 3–5 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, mix together the vegan cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice. Sift in the icing sugar and mix until combined.

Carefully remove the golden cannoli from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, remove the foil.

Use a teaspoon to fill the cannoli with the lemon cream, or fill a piping bag with the lemon cream and squeeze into the cannoli from each end. Press the chopped pistachios generously onto both ends of each cannoli and serve immediately.