Cannoli with Ancho Dairy-Free Cream Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 servings agave nectar sweet
• 8 servings canola oil for frying
• 12 oz better than cream cheese 
• 0.3 tsp energ egg replacer 
• 1.5 cups flour as needed
• 1.5 tsp maple syrup 
• 4  prickly pear cactus fruits sliced
• 3 tbsp pinenuts toasted
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar 
• 0.1 tsp salt 
• 0.5 cup tbsp. of soy creamer 
• 0.3 cup tbsp. sugar crystals raw
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• pot
• blender
• wok
• tongs
• immersion blender
• deep fryer

Directions

1. In a metal bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients. Blend them for about 1 minute until they are well emulsified.
2. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Once the wet and dry ingredients form a dough, you can add more flour to make the dough tighter (it should feel like a soft bread dough.) Don’t over knead the dough.
3. Let the dough sit for about 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/16 of an inch.
4. Cut out 4 inch circles. Wrap the circles around the cannoli forms. Wet your finger and run it along the seam of the wrap and press down gently to seal the wrap. Set up a deep fryer or wok and fill it with oil until it will cover the shells. Turn it up to medium high. With a set of tongs, drop the wrapped cannoli form into the oil. Fry it until it is a light golden color and immediately remove it. Set it on a paper towel to drain the oil. Repeat with the other wrapped cannoli forms.Fill up a small pot with water. Turn it to medium low. While it is heating, deseed the anchos by removing the top stem and shaking out the seeds through the hole that is created.
5. Place the anchos in the water and rehydrate them. They should turn a lighter color and the skin should smooth out. While they are rehydrating, place the Better than Cream Cheese and sweet agave nectar in a blender. Blend them on high for at least one minute. Alternatively, you can place the Better than Cream Cheese and sweet agave nectar in a narrow, tall, metal bowl and use an immersion blender on it. Pump the immersion blender up and down to fluff up the filling. Once the anchos have rehydrated, mince them very small. Stir the mince into the filling. Alternatively, you can blend it in.Slice the cactus fruit so that you have slices about 1/8 of an inch. Lightly oil a sauté pan.
6. Heat the pan up to a medium heat. Sauté the prickly pear fruit for about two minutes or until you see the colors smooth out.
7. Place them on the plate, two or three per plate. In a sauté pan, toast the pine nuts on a medium heat until they start to develop light brown spots on them. This should only take 2 or 3 minutes. Set them aside.
8. Place the filling in a piping bag (see Chef’s Notes for a cheat). Attach a wide star-shaped tip. Pipe the filling into the cannoli shell until it is filled. Arrange the prickly pear fruit on the plate.
9. Lay the stuffed cannoli against the fruit.
10. Drizzle sweet agave nectar across the plate, the cannoli, and the fruit. Sift a little bit of powdered sugar across the plate.
11. Sprinkle some of the pine nuts around the plate.