Cannoli Siciliani
Crispy pastry tubes filled with a flavorful ricotta filling and dipped in chopped crunchy pistachios... beautiful flavor and texture combination and hardly you can stop from eating just one.
Ingredients
Cannoli Shells
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (15g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) butter , cold
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (75ml) Marsala wine
For Frying
- Vegetable oil (flavorless oil preferably - I used canola oil)
For egg wash
- 1 egg white
Ricotta Filling
- 25 oz (700g) ricotta cheese , drained
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- Zest from 1 large lemon or orange (about 1 1/2 tsp)
For Garnish
- Chopped pistachios
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prepare cannoli shell dough.
- In a large bowl sift flour with salt, cinnamon and sugar. Incorporate butter using a fork or a pastry blender, until crumbs are formed. Add egg and Marsala and stir until incorporated. Knead the dough for few minutes until smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
Meanwhile prepare ricotta filling.
- Add ricotta cheese in a sieve over a bowl to drain, for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Transfer drained ricotta into a bowl, add powdered sugar and lemon/orange zest and mix gently to combine using a spatula. Refrigerate ricotta filling until ready to use.
- On a lightly floured surface roll the dough until 1/16 in (1-2 mm) thick. Cut 4 inch (10cm) circles and set aside. Reroll the dough and repeat until all dough is used.
- Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep pot or fryer to 320-350F (160-180C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Slightly grease with oil the cannoli tubes.
- Roll each circle into a 4.5 in (12 cm) oval. Wrap the oval dough around cannoli tube, brush one edge with egg white, overlap the edges and press slightly to seal.
- Once oil is hot place 2 or 3 cannoli at a time and fry for about 2 minutes until golden brown, rotating to cook evenly.
- Lift out the cannoli shells using heatproof tongs and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat until all shells are cooked. Let cool slightly and then remove the metal tubes.
- Place the ricotta filling into a piping bag fitted with a larte tip and fill each cannoli shell.
- Dip each end in chopped pistachios and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
- The shells can be stored unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week. It is best to fill them only before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cannoliCalories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 12.7gProtein: 4.7gFat: 3.6gSaturated Fat: 2.1gCholesterol: 19mgSugar: 3.3g