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| One of the most popular of all Italian desserts in the United States, cannoli are now seen on the mainland of Italy, as well as their native Sicily. Originally, the wealthy families of Palermo sent cannoli as gifts to friends at carnival time. Ricotta filling is traditional but there are variations using vanilla or chocolate pastry cream. The pastry shell is traditionally fried but there is also a baked version. |
| Cannoli Recipes |
| Traditional Cannoli Shells |
| Ricotta Filling |
| Pastry Cream Filling |
| Pastry Cream Variations |
| Baked Cannoli Shells |
| Cannoli Shells |
| (Makes about 18) |
| 3 cups flour |
| 1/4 cup sugar |
| 1 tsp. cinnamon |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| 3 tablespoons shortening |
| 2 eggs, well beaten |
| 2 tablespoons. white vinegar |
| 2 tablespoons cold water |
| 1 egg white, slightly beaten |
| Vegetable oil for deep frying |
| Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. |
| Cut shortening in with a pastry blender until the pieces are the size of small peas. |
| Stir in eggs. Blend in the vinegar and cold water. |
| Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add additional flour, if needed, to get a smooth dough. |
| Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. |
| Set out 6 aluminum cannoli tubes. |
| Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 360 degrees F. |
| Cut an oval shaped pattern from cardboard about 6x4-inches. |
| Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. |
| Place the cardboard pattern on dough and cut out as many as will fit on the dough. |
| Wrap dough loosely around tubes slightly overlapping opposite ends. |
| Seal ends by brushing with egg white and pressing together. |
| Fry only as many shells as will float uncrowded in the hot oil. |
| Fry until light golden brown, 3-4 minutes. |
| Remove cannoli shells to paper towels to drain. |
| Cool slightly and remove the tubes. Cool shells completely. |
| Continue forming and frying cannoli shells. |
| Using a pastry bag or a small spoon, fill the shells with the filling from both ends. |
| Do not fill the shells until up to an hour before serving, as the filling will make the shells soggy. Sprinkle ends with reserved chopped pistachio nuts and dust with confectioners sugar. |
| Traditional Ricotta Filling |
| 4-1/2 cups ricotta cheese |
| 1 cup sugar |
| 1 tablespoon vanilla |
| 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or candied fruit |
| 1/2 cup pistachio nuts,coarsely chopped |
| Confectioners sugar for dusting |
| Combine ricotta, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. |
| Stir in chocolate chips or candied fruit. |
| Pastry Cream Filling |
| 2 cups milk |
| 1/2 cup sugar, divided |
| 6 large egg yolks |
| Pinch salt |
| 1/3 cup flour |
| 2 teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon |
| In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with 1/4 cup of sugar. |
| Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the salt and remaining sugar. |
| Sift the flour over the egg mixture and whisk it in until smooth. |
| When the milk boils, slowly whisk one-third of it into the egg mixture. |
| Then slowly add the egg mixture to the milk in the saucepan. |
| You must follow these steps to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs. |
| If you add them all at once to the hot milk they will curdle. |
| Return the saucepan to a medium heat and again bring to a boil, whisking continually. |
| The mixture should begin to thicken. Allow it to boil for another minute. |
| Remove from heat. |
| Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon. |
| Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface. |
| Refrigerate until very cold, about 2 hours. |
| Pastry Cream Variations |
| Orange: Add the grated zest of one orange to the cold milk and sugar. |
| Lemon: Add the grated zest of one lemon to the cold milk and sugar. |
| Chocolate: Add 4 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate to the hot pastry cream as it comes off the heat. |
| Stir in and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk it in until smooth. |
| Coffee: Add 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder to the cold milk and sugar. |
| Rum: Add 2 tablespoonsrum or your favorite liqueur to the hot pastry cream as it comes off the heat. |
| Baked Cannoli Shells |
| These elegant pastry tubes of caramelized, baked puff pastry are a bit less rich than the traditional. |
| They are more appropriately filled with pastry cream, but you can use the ricotta filling as well. |
| You will need 12 metal tubes for baking these. |
| One sheet of Puff Pastry dough (you can find this in the frozen food section of your market) |
| 1/3 cup sugar |
| Spread the dough on a slightly floured surface and roll it to measure 12x12-inches. |
| Use a pastry wheel to cut it into 12 strips, each 1x12-inches. |
| Butter 12 metal cannoli tubes. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with water. |
| Pick up one of the dough strips and turn it so that the dry side is facing up. |
| Place the end of a tube at the left side of the strip and roll the tube so that the dough rolls up on it in a spiral fashion. |
| Do not roll too tightly or stretch the dough or the baked pastry will be impossible to remove from the tube. |
| The dough will not cover the entire length of the tube. |
| Also be sure that the beginning and end of the strip are on the same side of the tube. |
| Having the seam underneath during baking will prevent them from unraveling. |
| Place the dough wrapped tubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. |
| Sprinkle them with the sugar. |
| Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is dry and well caramelized. |
| Remove the pastry shells from the tubes immediately. |
| Grip the pastry in one hand, protected with a clean towel or paper towel and pull out the tube with tongs. |
| Cool the cannoli shells on a rack before filling. Store the shells in an airtight container at room temperature. |
| Fill the cannoli no more than an hour before serving or the pastry will become soggy. |
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| After filling the cannoli shells, dip the ends in chopped pistachios. |
| Dust the top of the cannolis with confectioners' sugar. |
| ALTERNATE RICOTTA FILLING: 4 cups ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup cream cheese 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 3/4 - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped chocolate or candied fruit, if desired |
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| CANNOLI RECIPES |
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