Sicilian Cannoli
Ingredients
| 3 cups | 720 ml | fresh ricotta cheese, drained overnight |
| 1 ⅓ cups | 320 ml | confectioner's sugar |
| 1 ½ tsp | 7.5 ml | vanilla extract |
| 1/3 cup | 80 ml | miniature semisweet chocolate chips |
| 1/3 cup | 80 ml | finely diced candied citron or orange peel (optional) |
| — | confectioners' sugar to finish | |
| 1¾ cups | 420 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1 tbs | 15 ml | granulated sugar |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder |
| ¼ cup | 60 ml | red wine vinegar |
| 3 tablespoons | 45 ml | Marsala wine, plus a few drops more, if needed |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | unsalted butter, melted and cooled |
| 1 | large egg white, lightly beaten, for sealing the shells | |
| — | safflower or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil, for frying | |
| — | chopped pistachios (extra topping) |
Instructions
Directions for Cannoli Shells:
- Sift the flour, salt and sugar into your mixer bowl (or just use a bowl and mix with a big spoon – the old fashioned way).
- Put on the mixer paddle and add the shortening. Stir for about 2 minutes until it resembles bread crumbs.
- Add 3 Tbs Marsala wine.
- Mix for 2-3 minutes until the dough starts to come together. Add remaining few drops of Marsala.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead on a clean surface.
- Wrap it in plastic and allow to sit on the counter for an hour.
- Start heating up your oil to 360ºF.
- Then, cut about a quarter piece of the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
- Keep rolling until it's really thin (curling at the edges, bubbles underneath, stickin'-to-the-board thin). If you look closely, you can see the board through this sheet of dough. Let the sheet sit for about 10 minutes, to relax, so it won't snap back when you cut it.
- Cut circles in the dough with a round cutter (notice how dough snaps back – a little – after resting).
- Roll each circle out to make them little bigger, and a little thinner (you can also roll them into little oval-shapes which makes the ends of the cannoli look a little nicer – like the picture above).
- Grab a lightly greased cannoli form and wrap the dough around it.
- BEFORE you finish wrapping it entirely, dab your finger in a little egg white… and rub it at the end. Then seal it.
- Gently ease 2 to 4 of your dough in the oil and brown the outsides. Make sure you roll them around a little, or else the bottom side touching the pot will burn.
- After around 45 seconds, when they're a little brown, carefully pick them up one at a time with your tongs to begin the process of browning the insides.
- Shake the cannoli form just a little so the shells slip right off the end and back into the oil. Or, push them off the form with a butter knife.
- The shells will float, so use your tongs (or spider strainer) to hold them in the oil, and fry an extra 2 minutes. You want the coloring a little darker than you would with a doughnut. In Italy, this little bit of bitter flavor goes great with the filling.
- Remove the shells from the pot, drain and cool down all the way. You can also make these ahead in an airtight container – they will stay crispy for a week.
- Fill the shells with the ricotta cream. Then fill the other side. You can also dip the end in more mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios.
- Add some powdered sugar.