Cannoli
Cannoli are iconic Sicilian pastries consisting of crispy fried pastry tubes filled with a sweetened ricotta cream that is studded with chocolate chips and often garnished with candied orange peel or pistachios. They are a symbol of Sicilian hospitality and are best enjoyed the moment they are filled.
Crispy Sicilian pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream and chocolate chips.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Shell
Filling
Filling and Garnish
Instructions
Make and Rest the Pastry Dough
Combine the flour, caster sugar, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of softened lard or butter, and the Marsala wine in a bowl. Mix and knead for 8 minutes until a firm, smooth dough forms. The dough should not be sticky. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This resting period is essential because it relaxes the gluten and makes the dough much easier to roll thinly.
Roll and Fry the Shells
Roll the rested dough to 2mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into circles approximately 10 centimeters in diameter. Wrap each circle around a metal cannoli tube, sealing the edge with a dab of beaten egg white. Fry in vegetable oil heated to 180 degrees Celsius for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden and blistered. Drain on paper towels and cool completely before sliding off the tubes.
Prepare the Ricotta Filling
Ensure the ricotta has been draining in a sieve lined with cheesecloth in the refrigerator overnight to remove excess liquid. Beat the drained ricotta vigorously with a wooden spoon until completely smooth and creamy. Sift in the icing sugar and fold gently to combine. Stir in two-thirds of the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the filling until ready to use.
Fill and Serve Immediately
Transfer the ricotta filling to a piping bag fitted with a large star or round nozzle. Pipe the cream into each cannoli shell from both ends, meeting in the middle, so it is filled all the way through without air pockets. Press a few chocolate chips and a pinch of chopped pistachios into each exposed end. Dust with icing sugar and serve within 30 minutes of filling so the shells stay crispy.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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