Substitute basic cream cheese for exciting mascarpone cheese if you want your dip to be a bit heartier.

Chef Jessica Randhawa explains the difference by saying, “The ricotta provides that classic cannoli flavor, while the mascarpone adds a luxurious richness.”

Not everyone is a fan of dark chocolate, so you may want to use white chocolate chips instead. This will make the cannoli dip more sugary, so ask yourself how much of a sweet tooth your guests have.

If you just want to make a classic cannoli dip, follow the recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cookies, fruit, or graham crackers (for serving)

Directions:

• Mix the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into a large bowl, for around 5 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat.
• Serve dip alongside sweet dippers on a platter. Bon appétit!

Denise Austin, a renowned fitness legend with over 24 million exercise video sales, has always encouraged people to find enjoyable ways to stay active. Now at the age of 66, she has found a new passion in the fastest-growing sport in America— pickleball! Denise sees pickleball as a social, fun, and great workout that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their athletic abilities. Embracing this popular sport, she has also designed a line of pickleball shoes for Easy Spirit, which will be launching soon.

Denise Austin and her family stumbled upon pickleball several Thanksgivings ago. With her husband, Jeff, being a professional tennis player and her sister-in-law, Tracy Austin, being a two-time US Open winner, the transition to pickleball was natural for Denise. The sport’s social and low-impact nature has appealed to Denise, who loves playing mixed doubles with other couples and enjoying the game with her daughters, Kelly Austin, and fitness influencer Katie Austin.

The allure of pickleball lies in its simplicity, making it accessible to all, regardless of age or athletic background. As a combination of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton, pickleball uses solid paddles and lightweight wiffle balls and is played on a smaller tennis court. In fact, with 36.5 million fans in the US, Pickleball has seen an astonishing 158.6% growth in the past three years. With over 10,000 courts in the country, finding a place to play pickleball has become easier than ever.

Apart from being a great cardio and weight-loss activity, burning around 600 calories per hour, pickleball engages various muscles with functional movements, benefiting overall health. Denise Austin is not the only celebrity drawn to pickleball; stars like Emma Watson, Jenna Bush Hager, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, and tennis greats Andre Agassi and Serena Williams also enjoy the sport. Health coach Sherri Holzer has even released a community-driven cookbook, named Everything But the Kitchen Dink, offering nutritious recipes for pickleball enthusiasts.

Before hitting the pickleball court, Denise Austin suggests stretching key areas like the hamstrings and quads to feel great and reduce the risk of injuries. She also advocates for off-court strength training with wall sits, walking lunges, squats, and lunges to strengthen the lower body. Appropriate athletic clothing and athleisure clothes are popular choices for pickleball players. In collaboration with Easy Spirit, Denise has designed the Dilli Pickleball Shoes, offering excellent support, cushioning, and traction for the court.