These ricotta-filled cream puffs showed up at nearly every holiday growing up, and somehow there was never a single one left by the end of the night. Unlike French-style pastries filled with heavy pastry cream, these are lighter, softer, and unmistakably Italian—cream puffs stuffed with sweetened ricotta, chocolate chips, and candied citrus peel that tastes more like cannoli filling than custard. They’re meant to look rustic, a little uneven, and generously overfilled. That’s part of what makes them feel homemade, and honestly, part of what makes people love them so much.

Light but rich, bright with citrus, and finished with candied peel that adds texture and depth, this is the kind of cake that belongs on the table any day of the week. Simple ingredients, done right, with just enough detail to make it feel special.