Pizzelle Casserole with Cannoli Filling

Serves 6–8

This recipe is brought to you by David Venable host of "In the kitchen with David" on QVC

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1–1/2 cups heavy cream
1–1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
The zest from 1 orange
32 oz whole milk ricotta
24–30 pizzelles, setting aside 3–4 for topping the casserole

Preparation:

Using a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip, whip the cream cheese until it's light and fluffy. Reduce the speed, then add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Slowly increase the speed until you have soft peaks. Add the ricotta cheese and chocolate chips, reserving 2 Tbsp of the chocolate chips for topping the casserole. Blend well. This is your cannoli filling.

Spread a thin layer of the cannoli filling in the bottom of a 2- to 3-qt casserole dish and cover with a single layer of the pizzelles. (The first layer of filling is to keep the pizzelles from sliding around.) Add another, slightly thicker, layer of the filling and top with more of the pizzelles, also in a single layer. Continue layering the filling and pizzelles in this way until you've filled the casserole dish or used all the filling. The filling will be your final layer before adding the toppings. 

Using the pizzelles you set aside, roughly crumble them over the casserole. Next, sprinkle on the reserved chocolate chips. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.