Sicilian Cannoli

⏳ Time

1 hour + 1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Cannoli, crispy tubes filled with ricotta and candied fruit, are a traditional Sicilian dessert. Their charm lies in the fact that they are relatively simple to make and incredibly delicious: you have the crispy, melt-in-your-mouth pastry, the soft ricotta, fragrant candied fruit, and chocolate. Everything we love in desserts, all in one package – or rather, in one tube. The exact origin of cannoli is unknown, but historians associate their appearance with Arab influence. Traditionally, cannoli were made during carnival season, with the tube filled with cream symbolizing fertility. Over time, this dessert transcended seasonal boundaries and even crossed the island. They are now very popular in the USA, having naturally arrived with Sicilian immigrants. In Italy, there are numerous recipes for cannoli, with each family having their own. Chef John from a popular American restaurant also has his family recipe, which he graciously shared with us.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 10.6 oz
Cocoa Powder - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 8.1 oz
Salt - 0.1 oz
Butter - 0.9 oz
Champagne Vinegar - 0 fl oz
Marsala - 3 fl oz
Chicken Egg - 1 piece
Vegetable Oil - 1 qt
Ricotta cheese - 28.2 oz
Ground Cinnamon - a pinch
Candied fruits - to taste
Chocolate - to taste
Pistachios - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Take 300 grams of high-grade flour, sift it, and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. The cocoa is used to give the tubes a grayish-brown shade, rather than a wheat color. Add 30 grams of sugar and 2 grams of salt. Mix everything by hand, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. The goal is to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly combined and remain loose, without lumps.

Step 2

Add 25 grams of lard or butter to the mixing bowl. It can be added in one piece, as it will dissolve into the dough anyway. Add 5 grams of white wine vinegar and 100 ml of Sicilian Marsala wine. Marsala cannot be substituted; it is essential for giving the dough its unique aroma, flavor, and acidity. The vinegar and wine help create bubbles on the surface of the pastry tubes. Also, add 1 egg. Mix the dough in a mixer on low speed until all the ingredients are combined, which will take about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Then knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth and uniform. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Step 4

Tear off pieces of the prepared dough weighing 8–14 grams each. The larger the piece, the bigger the tube will be. Flatten the dough balls with your hands and roll them out with a rolling pin into an oval shape. The thickness of the dough should be about 2 mm.

Step 5

Place a special tube in the center of the oval of dough, fold one edge of the dough over it and brush it with a mixture of egg yolk and a little water (just enough water to make the yolk slightly runnier than usual). Fold the second edge over and press it against the area brushed with yolk, making sure to seal it firmly with the edge of your palm. Open the dough like shells or ears on both sides. Let the dough with the tubes rest for about 10 minutes: this is necessary for the dough to stick together and not open up in the oil, allowing it to fry into the shape of a tube.

Step 6

Heat the oil to 180 degrees. Dip the tube into it. After about 2 minutes, it will be ready. Remove the tube and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess oil and allow the cannoli to cool. The shape of the cannoli can vary. For example, the tube may not be flat on one side, but curved like a crescent. It may not sit flat on the plate and could tip over, but that's perfectly fine. It's still cannoli! The prepared tubes can be stored in a dry place for up to 3 weeks and used as needed.

Step 7

Mix 800 grams of ricotta cheese, passed through a sieve, with 200 grams of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, candied fruits, and grated chocolate to taste. You can also add pistachios or other nuts to taste. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag. Carefully remove the form from the tube with a twisting motion. Fill the tube with the ricotta mixture from both ends. Decorate with candied fruits and sprinkle with powdered sugar.