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Puff Pastry Napoleon with Cannoli Filling Recipe

This Puff Pastry Napoleon with Cannoli Filling is a Secretly Easy Showstopper

Have you ever walked past a fancy bakery and just stared at the desserts in the window? The ones with perfect layers and delicate drizzles that look like they took a team of chefs three days to make.

That’s a Napoleon. It’s fancy. It’s French. It looks intimidating.

And then you have cannolis. That sweet, creamy, slightly tangy ricotta filling that’s just pure comfort. An absolute classic.

So I had this thought. What if we took the fancy-pants look of a Napoleon and stuffed it with the soul-comforting goodness of cannoli filling? It sounds like it should be complicated, right?

Nope. It’s our little secret. This recipe is the ultimate dessert hack. It looks like you spent all day in the kitchen, but you’ll be using store-bought puff pastry. It’s a total game-changer.

You get to feel like a pastry superstar without all the stress. So let’s make something that looks a million bucks but is actually super straightforward.

What You’ll Need

For the Puff Pastry:

1 sheet (about 10 ounces) of frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting

For the Cannoli Filling:

15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, strained
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, but are they really?)

For Topping (Optional):

Extra powdered sugar
Melted chocolate for drizzling
Chopped pistachios or more mini chocolate chips

Tools Required

Baking sheets
Parchment paper
Pizza cutter or a sharp knife
Mixing bowls
Electric mixer or a whisk and some arm power
Spatula
Piping bag with a large star or round tip (or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off)

Pro Tips

Okay, before we dive in, I have a few tips from my own trial-and-error sessions. My kitchen looked like a powdered sugar snowstorm the first time, so maybe these will help you.

1. Strain That Ricotta. Seriously. This is the most important step for the filling. If your ricotta is watery, your filling will be runny and sad. It’ll make the crisp pastry soggy in minutes. To strain it, just put the ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, or even overnight. You’ll be shocked how much water comes out.

2. Don’t Skip the ‘Docking’. Docking is just a fancy word for poking holes in the dough with a fork. This prevents the pastry from puffing up into a giant pillow. We want it to rise in flat, even layers, not a big dome. So poke it all over before it goes in the oven.

3. The Double Baking Sheet Trick. To get those perfectly flat, crisp pastry layers, lay another piece of parchment paper on top of your pastry and then place another baking sheet on top of that. This weighs it down just enough to keep it from puffing too much, giving you perfect, stackable layers.

4. Chill Everything Before Assembling. Make sure your pastry layers are completely cool and your cannoli filling is chilled. If anything is warm, the filling will start to melt and slide, and you’ll have a leaning tower of deliciousness instead of a neat Napoleon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Ready? This is the fun part. It comes together faster than you’d think.

Step 1: Prep the Oven and Pastry
First things first, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Gently unfold your thawed puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with a little powdered sugar. This helps it get extra crispy and caramelized. Yum.

Step 2: Cut and Dock
Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to make them even. Then, cut the sheet into three equal rectangular sections.

Carefully move the three rectangles to your parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, poke holes all over the surface of each rectangle. Don’t be shy about it.

Step 3: Bake the Pastry
Cover the pastry with another sheet of parchment paper and place a second baking sheet on top to weigh it down.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the top baking sheet and parchment. The pastry should be a pale golden color.

Dust with a bit more powdered sugar and bake for another 5-7 minutes, uncovered, until it’s a deep golden brown and beautifully crisp. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 4: Make the Cannoli Filling
While the pastry is cooling, let’s make that amazing filling. In a medium bowl, combine your *strained* ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy. Don’t overmix it.

Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips with a spatula. Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge to chill and firm up for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble Your Masterpiece
Once the pastry is cool and the filling is chilled, it’s time to build.

Place one of the pastry rectangles on your serving platter. Transfer the cannoli filling to a piping bag.

Pipe a generous layer of filling over the first pastry rectangle. You can do neat rows or a fun zig-zag pattern.

Carefully place the second pastry rectangle on top and press down very gently. Pipe another layer of filling over this one.

Top with the third and final pastry rectangle. You did it!

Step 6: Garnish and Serve
Dust the top with powdered sugar. If you’re feeling extra, drizzle some melted chocolate over the top and sprinkle with chopped pistachios or more mini chocolate chips.

It’s best served right away to get that perfect contrast of crispy pastry and creamy filling.

| **Nutrition Profile** | **Approximate Amount per Serving** |
| :—————— | :——————————- |
| Calories | 450 kcal |
| Protein | 10g |
| Carbohydrates | 40g |
| Fat | 28g |

Substitutions and Variations

One of the best things about this recipe is how you can make it your own.

* Filling Fun: Not a fan of chocolate chips? Try finely chopped pistachios, candied orange peel, or a little bit of espresso powder in the filling. A drop of almond extract instead of vanilla also works wonders.
* Lighter Version: You can use part-skim ricotta to lower the fat content. It works fine, just make sure you still strain it really well. You can also experiment with sugar substitutes like erythritol for the powdered sugar.
* Different Shapes: Who says they have to be rectangles? You can cut the puff pastry into circles or squares to make individual-sized portions. Just adjust the baking time slightly.

Meal Pairing and Serving Suggestions

This dessert is pretty rich and satisfying, so it stands on its own really well.

I love serving it with a strong cup of coffee or an espresso to cut through the sweetness. A small glass of Amaretto or a dessert wine also pairs beautifully.

It’s the perfect end to an Italian-themed dinner or just a fantastic treat to bring to a get-together when you want to impress everyone.

Make Ahead Tips

You can totally prep parts of this ahead of time, which is a lifesaver.

The puff pastry can be baked a day in advance. Once it’s completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t put it in the fridge, or it might get soft.

The cannoli filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Just don’t assemble it until you’re ready to serve. The goal is to keep that pastry as crispy as possible for as long as possible.

Leftovers and Storage

Okay, if you somehow have leftovers, here’s the deal.

The assembled Napoleon is going to get soft in the fridge. There’s just no way around it. It will still taste delicious, but you’ll lose the crispy texture.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Think of it as a different, softer dessert experience the next day. Still good, just different.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Q1. My cannoli filling is runny! What did I do wrong?**

**Ans:** Nine times out of ten, this is because the ricotta wasn’t strained enough. Whole milk ricotta holds a lot of whey (the watery part), and if you don’t get that out, you’ll have a soupy filling. Next time, let it strain in the fridge for at least a few hours.

**Q2. Can I use homemade puff pastry?**

**Ans:** You absolutely can, you kitchen hero! If you have a trusted recipe for homemade puff pastry, go for it. It will definitely take this dessert to a whole other level. For the rest of us, store-bought is our best friend here.

**Q3. Why didn’t my pastry get crispy?**

**Ans:** This could be a couple of things. It might not have been baked long enough, or maybe your oven temperature is a little off. Also, make sure you let it cool completely before adding the filling. Any steam or warmth will soften it right up.

**Q4. This looks so delicate. How do I cut it without squishing the filling out everywhere?**

**Ans:** The best tool for this job is a sharp, serrated knife (like a bread knife). Use a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing straight down. Go slow and steady. A little bit of squish is normal, but this method helps a lot.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it. A dessert that looks like it belongs in a Parisian patisserie but is secretly easy enough for a regular Tuesday.

The combination of those flaky, crispy layers with the sweet, creamy cannoli filling is just something else. It’s a texture and flavor explosion.

Give it a try. Don’t worry about making it perfect. If a layer cracks or the filling oozes a little, who cares? It’s going to be delicious either way. That’s the whole point, right? To make and eat something amazing.

I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments if you try it or if you have any questions!

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Puff Pastry Napoleon with Cannoli Filling