Cannoli Cheeseball

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One of my favorite holiday traditions is hosting Christmas Eve dinner for my family – all 19 of us! Christmas Eve the perfect time to celebrate, give thanks and of course eat. And eat we do! It’s a holiday steeped in traditional Italian food as we enjoy the Feast of the ALMOST seven fishes (I make five and I draw the line at smelts)! The holiday spirit is in the air, the Christmas preparations are complete and we can all relax and enjoy each other’s company. When it comes to dessert, cookies and cannoli usually take center stage at this festive feast. This year, however, cookies and a Cannoli Cheeseball will take center stage. Made with Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, this Cannoli Cheeseball takes very little effort to make. I just love effortless, no-bake desserts. My kitchen has been working overtime lately with all the holiday preparations, so I love that this dessert can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.

I think it is safe to say that cannoli ranks right up there as one of my favorite desserts. I love to find creative and easy ways to reinvent foods we enjoy. It’s fun to change things up a little. This cheeseball is made with the same basic filling ingredients you would use in a traditional filled cannoli. Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese is added to this recipe so the ball can keep its shape. Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese is one ingredient that I ALWAYS have in my refrigerator. It is perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. My son also loves some on his bagel each morning.

Are your ready to see how simple this recipe is?

Add the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon rind. Mix together with an electric mixer until well incorporated.

Now mix in 3/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips. Use a spatula, not a mixer so the chocolate chips don’t get crushed.

Now it’s time to get your roll on. Spread a piece of plastic wrap out and pour remaining chocolate chips over top. Spread evenly. Use a spatula to scoop out the cannoli filling onto the chocolate chips. Gather up one end of the plastic wrap and roll. Make sure you coat the cheeseball evenly with the chocolate chips. When the cheeseball is in a nicely formed “ball” refrigerate for at least two hours.

See, I promised you this was easy, and that it is! It only takes 10 minutes to prepare. I like to serve this with vanilla cookies, graham crackers and pieces of waffle cones.

I purchased the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, along with the other ingredients at WalMart. The cream cheese can be found in the refrigerated section of the store.

You can find more delicious recipes using Kraft products by clicking here. You can also visit the site and save $1.00 off two packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  I would love to hear about some of your favorite family traditions. Better yet, I would love to hear how your guests enjoyed this Cannoli Cheeseball made with Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Be sure to leave me a comment below.

5 from 2 votes

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Cannoli Cheeseball

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

This easy make-ahead, no-bake Cannoli Cheeseball dessert recipe with be the hit of your next party. #NaturallyCheesy

Course: Dessert

Author: Melissa Russo / thefarmgirlgabs.com

Ingredients

• 1 8 ounce package Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon rind. Beat together with a mixer.
2. Stir in 3/4 cup of the miniature chocolate chips.
3. Spread a piece of plastic wrap out and pour remaining chocolate chips on top. Spread out evenly.
4. Use a spatula to scoop out cannoli cheeseball onto plastic wrap. Grab one side of the wrap and roll to form ball and coat with chips.
5. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
6. Serve with vanilla cookies, graham crackers and pieces of an ice cream cone.