Keto cannoli waffle with ricotta ice cream

So, my good friend Dr. Kristy Harvell had a birthday and I wanted to make her something she would enjoy, but also stay within

her low carb lifestyle, so I asked her husband what her favorite dessert was. He said cannoli. Now, I knew that there was no way I would be able to master a classic Italian dessert, but I would maybe be able to make a low-carb version of a desert with a similar taste of cannoli. So, I looked up a recipe and experimented. After an epic failure to try to create a low-carb cannoli cake, I settled on a pretty delicious cannoli waffles with ricotta chocolate chip ice cream! It was a hit and everyone agreed that it was delicious and hit the spot on meeting the taste profile of a traditional cannoli dessert: cinnamon, vanilla, ricotta, and of course, the chocolate chips. Here is the recipe that I worked out with several attempts and failures. You will need a mini waffle maker for this recipe or you could just make pancakes on a skillet.

Ingredients for the Cannoli Waffle:

2 tbs butter

• 1/4 cup almond flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbs water

• 1 tbs monk fruit confectioners sugar (I like the swerve brand)

• 2 tbs melted butter

Ingredients for the ricotta chocolate chip ice cream:

• 2 cups Ricotta Cheese

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• ⅔ cup monk fruit confectioners sugar (I like the swerve brand)

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

• ½ cup Sugar-free Dark Chocolate Chips (I love Lily’s brand)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ICE CREAM

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add ricotta cheese, heavy cream, powdered erythritol, and vanilla extract.

• Beat with an electric beater or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer for 3 minutes until thick and fluffy.

• Fold in the sugar-free chocolate chips with a spatula and freeze for 1 hour before serving for best taste and texture.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THE CANOLLI WAFFLE

1. In a microwave-safe coffee mug, melt the butter for about 20 seconds or until fully melted.

2. Combine the remaining keto cannoli ingredients and mix well.

3. Warm your waffle maker or skillet and place some butter on it to ensure that the waffle does not stick.

4. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and place it in the center of the waffle maker. The cookie scoop measures about 2 tablespoons of batter which is perfect for each cannoli.

5. Press the lid down and lock it. Cook it for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until the waffle is slightly golden brown and cooked completely in the middle.

6. Use a knife to lift the hot cannoli cake off of the press and place it in a single-serve bowl.

With an ice cream scooper, scoop the ricotta chocolate chip ice cream and place it on the top of the warm cannoli waffle. Throw a handful of the sugar-free chocolate chips on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy!