Italian · Dessert · Hard
Cannoli
Crisp, bubbly fried shells filled with sweet, creamy ricotta studded with chocolate chips and finished with pistachios. The Sicilian pastry that makes any dinner feel like a celebration.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Cannoli, in 5 ideas
- Drain the ricotta overnight in a cheesecloth lined sieve; watery ricotta makes a runny filling no amount of sugar can fix.
- Roll the shells paper thin; thick dough fries up heavy and chewy instead of crisp and shattering.
- Fry at a steady 350F: too cool and the shells absorb oil, too hot and they brown before they bubble.
- Fill cannoli within an hour of serving, since the creamy filling softens the crisp shell quickly.
- Keep the tubes well greased or the hot shells will stick and crack when you try to slide them off.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine, plus more if needed
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 lbs whole milk ricotta, drained overnight
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios, for the ends
How to make it
Directions
- For the shells, whisk together the dry shell mix (flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt). Cut in the butter until crumbly, then stir in the egg and enough Marsala to form a firm dough. Knead 5 minutes, wrap, and rest 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough thin, about 1/16 inch, and cut into 4 inch rounds. Wrap each round around a metal cannoli tube, sealing the edge with a dab of water or beaten egg white.
- Heat 2 inches of oil to 350F in a heavy pot. Fry the shells in batches, about 2 minutes, until deep golden and blistered. Cool 30 seconds, then slide off the tubes and cool completely on a rack.
- For the filling, beat the drained ricotta with the powdered sugar and vanilla until completely smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill the shells with a piping bag or spoon just before serving so the shells stay crisp, dipping each end into chopped pistachios.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Skip the metal tubes and wrap the dough around clean wooden dowels or even foil wrapped wooden spoons; they work just as well for a fraction of the price.