Cannoli Cupcakes

There are three therapists at work who are getting married in April of this year.  Our department is hosting showers for all three of us, the first of which was this past Friday.  The theme for the potluck lunch shower was Italian, and I had agreed to bring dessert.  Most suggested tiramisu, but I thought that large quantities of rum was not conducive to treating patients later that afternoon.  I considered cannoli, but quickly changed my mind, as it involved purchasing cannoli rods or tubes in order to cook the shells.  If only a dish existed that was cannoli-esque, low maintenance, and appropriate for small individual proportions!

So, I googled "cannoli" and "cupcake."  Oh, internet.  What did we do before you came into our lives?

I stumbled upon an intriguing recipe that was posted on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, Tasty Kitchen is a community of writers who post recipes of their own creation for all the interwebs to see.  I strongly encourage you to head on over and take a look.

Cannoli Cupcakes (adapted from Sugarcrafter)

Ingredients

• 2-½ cups Flour
• 2-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1-¾ cup Sugar
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 3 whole Eggs
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Marsala Wine
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
• 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips

Frosting

• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Shortening
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 6 cups Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 whole Vanilla Bean, Split And Scraped

Directions

•  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two muffin pans with cupcake wrappers. 
•  Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl.
•  In another bowl, combine the butter, eggs, vanilla, Marsala wine, and milk.  If you're using a powerful mixer, be careful not to turn the speed up too high!  You can, and will, make a mess here!
• Add in the ricotta cheese, orange zest, and powdered sugar. Mix in the dry ingredients, and then stir in the chocolate chips.

• Pour the batter into cupcake liners, 24 in total. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pans to a cooling rack. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Cream the butter and shortening together, and then add in the vanilla extract. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Mix in the milk, and then mix in the vanilla from the vanilla bean.
  
• Frost the cupcakes once they have cooled completely, and top with additional chocolate chip...or get creative and add pistachios, cinnamon, or whatever you'd like!

Ahh.  That orange zest really just makes such a huge difference.  All in all, they came out pretty good!  They were a little less sweet than the usual cupcakes, which I think was a refreshing change.