One day, Peter Ariola Jr. — third-generation owner of Long Island pastry business Ariola Bakery — had an idea: What if he took the broken shells of his cannoli and transformed them into candy bars? They had used the shells in a cheesecake before, so there was a precedent, but he was after a more portable and shelf-stable format.

“When you fill a cannoli, it becomes soggy after, you know, 12 hours,” he says. “You don’t need a refrigerator to keep the candy bar, and the shell stays crunchy because it’s enrobed in the white chocolate — fresh tasting as if it was just made.”