How to Make Authentic Italian Cannoli Pastries

Cannoli are ideal for out-of-hand eating as well as a simple, yet elegant, finish to meals.

Cannoli pastries, an iconic component of Italian cuisine, originated in Sicily as a preparation commonly served at special occasions. Traditional cannoli have a sweetened, whipped cream-based filling garnished with a hint of cinnamon, ricotta cheese and chopped nuts. Although cannoli shells can be made ahead of time and stored for up to three days in an airtight container, it is ideal to fill the shells as soon as they finish frying to retain their crisp, flaky texture.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Filling:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted milk chocolate
• Pastry bag with 1/2-inch tip
• Shells:
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. white granulated sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 2 tbsp. dry red wine
• Cling film
• Pastry wheel
• Candy thermometer
• Deep 3-qt. cast-iron pan
• Cannolo molds
• Confectioner's sugar

Filling

1. Whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks in a mixing bowl, and fold in 2 cups of ricotta cheese until smooth.

2. Fold in 1/4 cup of toasted pistachios, 1/4 cup of toasted hazelnuts, 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar, 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of melted milk chocolate until incorporated.

3. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Place the filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Shells

1. Mix together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp. of baking soda, 1/8 tsp. of salt and 2 tbsp. of white granulated sugar in a nonreactive bowl. Add 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp. of dry red wine to the bowl, and mix until a dough forms.

2. Form the dough into a compact ball and wrap in cling film. Allow the dough to rest for one hour.

3. Lightly flour the work surface and turn the cannoli dough out onto it. Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 5-inch-diameter rounds using a pastry wheel or cutter.

4. Attach a candy thermometer to a deep 3-quart cast-iron pan, and add 3 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Position the dough round on the work area. Place the tubular cannoli mold at the bottom of the dough round (the "6 o'clock" position). Wrap the bottom edge of the dough over the mold and roll the mold forward, wrapping the dough around it. Gently press the overlapping edge of the dough into the other edge of the dough where they meet. Brush a thin layer of egg whites at the point you pressed the two edges of dough together. At this point the cannolo shell resembles a circular piece of dough wrapped around a stainless steel tube (the cannoli mold).

6. Fry the cannoli shells until golden-brown, approximately two minutes total. Turn the cannoli shells over halfway through the frying process. Place the shells on a plate lined with paper towels, slide the molds from them and set aside. Fill the warm shells with the filling as soon as possible, and finish with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar.

References

• "Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2009
• MSNBC: Leave the Gun ... Take this Cannoli