Homemade Cannoli

Homemade Cannoli
(You will need cannoli molds and pastry bags to make these, I ordered mine at Amazon.com and they were under $10 and arrived in a few days. You can fry the shells a few days before filling them so it’s a great “do-ahead” recipe and a real crowd pleaser!

Shells
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons butter
1 egg white
1/2 cup white wine

Filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup granulated sugar

Oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 candied orange peels

1/4 cup chopped pistachios & maraschino cherries If desired

Make shells by combining all ingredients for the shells. Mix it and knead it until it forms a ball. Turn out to a floured surface and with a rolling pin roll it out until it is thin (about an 1/8” It seemed similar to rolling out a pie crust or fresh pasta.

Using a glass, cut circles 4” in diameter.

Get your oil nice and hot (I used a small skillet just big enough for the four cannoli molds ). While the oil is heating up, wrap the cannoli dough around the cannoli mold, dampening each pastery end with a little water

Fry each pastry until lightly golden. Remove from hot oil with tongs, allow to cool briefly then gently twist the shell off the iron. You may need to use a kitchen towel or pot holder for this step as the iron is very hot. Continue wrapping fresh pastry circles around the irons and fry them up in batches.

At first I made full size cannoli, they were delicious but a full sized dessert. For the second batch, I cut each circle in half and rolled two halves up on the same iron, making half sized cannolis. This worked out perfect because I was making them for a buffet for 30 people so I needed lots of them. The “bite size” was better because it is less of a commitment for the picky eaters browsing the dessert table. So many choices so little time…. But let me tell you, they kept coming back for the cannoli!

Directions for the filling:

The ricotta must be strained 24 hours before making the Cannoli, this means placing it into a cheesecloth or muslin fabric, even a pillow case! Allow it to strain overnight in the refrigerator. Squeeze out excell moisture. Fold together the ricotta and sugar, Fill a pastry bag and spoon in the filling. I always make a 3” cuff at the large end of the bag and then spoon in the filling. It helps you get to the part of the bag you want to be in and keeps your bag neat when you un-cuff it and get to piping your filling into that cute little cannoli! You can also buy disposable pastry bags from Amazon when you order your cannoli irons.