1. Prepare the Oven and Muffin Tin: Getting Ready to Bake

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Prepare Muffin Tin: You do not need to grease the muffin tin for this recipe.

2. Prepare the Pie Crusts: Creating the Cannoli Cups

1. Lightly Flour Surface: Lightly flour a clean work surface.
2. Unroll Pie Crusts: Unroll the refrigerated pie crusts onto the floured surface.
3. Combine Sugar and Cinnamon: In a small bowl, combine the turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle Crusts: Sprinkle both of the pie crusts evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
5. Press Sugar into Dough: Use a rolling pin to gently roll over the top of the pie crusts, pressing the sugar and cinnamon mixture into the dough.
6. Cut Out Circles: Using a 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out circles from the pie crusts.
   • Tip: You should be able to get about 24 circles from the two crusts. You may need to gently re-roll the scraps of dough to cut out more circles.

3. Form the Cannoli Cups: Shaping the Pastry

1. Press into Muffin Cups: Gently press each pastry round into an ungreased mini muffin cup, forming a small cup shape.

4. Bake the Cannoli Cups: Achieving a Golden-Brown Crust

1. Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven.
2. Baking Time: Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown.
3. Cool: Allow the cannoli cups to cool completely in the muffin tin, about 15 minutes. This will help them firm up and prevent them from breaking when you remove them.
4. Remove from Tin: Once cooled, carefully remove the pastry cups from the muffin tin and place them on a wire rack.

5. Prepare the Filling: A Sweet and Creamy Ricotta Mixture

1. Combine Filling Ingredients: While the cups are cooling, prepare the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the whole-milk ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, finely grated orange or lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
2. Beat Until Creamy: Using an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), beat the mixture on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.

6. Fill the Cannoli Cups: Adding the Delicious Center

1. Prepare Piping Bag (Optional): Transfer the ricotta filling to a 1-gallon zip-top resealable bag. Seal the bag and snip off one corner to create a makeshift piping bag.
   • Alternative: You can use a spoon to fill the cups, but a piping bag makes the process neater and easier.
2. Fill Cups: Just before serving, pipe or spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cooled pastry cup.

7. Garnish and Serve: The Finishing Touches

1. Garnish: Sprinkle the filled cups with miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios.
2. Dust with Powdered Sugar: Dust the tops of the filled cups with additional powdered sugar for a beautiful presentation.
3. Serve Immediately: Serve the Mini Cannoli Cups immediately for the best texture and flavor.