Vegan Cannolis

I recently took a trip to Italy. Although I enjoyed many wonderful foods while I was there, I got a little sad when I realized that I can no longer enjoy my favorite Italian dessert: cannolis.

Natrually, when I got back to the U.S., I decided that cannolis would be my first baking project. The most difficult part is replacing the ricotta cheese. I was able to buy some pre-made dairy-free cannoli shells from the grocery store, which I covered in powdered sugar.

I'm still working on getting the soy aftertaste to completely disappear, but I thought that this recipe (based on a recipe found in Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler, with a few modifications) was pretty decent.




Ingredients:

1 lb soft tofu
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 bag mini chocolate chips

1) Press the tofu (by placing it between two plates and placing something heavy on top) for 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has been removed.*

2) Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

3) Fold in 1 bag mini chocolate chips. Chill the filling for at least 2 hours.

4) Stuff the cannoli shells with filling and serve immediately.

*Note: I've been told that blanching the tofu after pressing it helps to remove the soy taste even further. To blanch tofu, simply place it in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.