Recipe Canolli shell and filling

Among Italian’s there is nothing that quite compares to good food and good company. Usually when you have good food, good company follows. Here is a family recipe for cannoli shells and filling. I’m sure there are many variations of this combination and you’re welcome to add you thoughts.

Special equipment.
 
Cannoli tubes, lightly oiled
Tongs
A pastry bag

Cannoli shell-makes approximately 50 shells

Ingredients for shells:

4 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup Crisco
1 egg
1 cup of water
4 tbsp Marsala wine

Cannoli tubes, lightly oiled
Tongs

Cut the Crisco into the dry ingredients until the mixture is no bigger than pea sized, add the egg and slowly stir in the water and wine until it forms a ball. Don’t work the dough to much, it will be tough. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in refrigerator.

Once cool divide the dough into thirds or a half, whichever size you feel comfortable with. Return the remainder of the dough to the frig. Roll the dough thin to less than an eight of an inch. This is much easier with a pasta machine but can be done without one. Using a round cookie cutter relative in size to your cannoli tubes cut circles from the dough. There are two schools on this next process, roll the individual circles again into an ellipse (makes a crisper and larger shell) or just wrap the circle of dough around a tube and seal the edge with water.
 
Fill a pan with enough vegetable oil to completely submerge the shells and heat on medium high. When the oil comes to temperature gently place several (not to many as they tend to brown very fast) of the cannoli shells in the oil and fry until deep golden brown. You’ll need tongs to remove the shells from the oil and the tubes must be removed while hot, once they have cooled on the tube they will break when you try to remove them. The best way is to hold the end of the tube with the tong, hold vertically over paper towel just after removing from the oil. They will slide right off with a gentle nudge. Place the shells on paper towel.

Note,
For the health conscious the shells can be baked but that will get the purists up in arms. Originally the shells were fried in lard but I’ve substituted vegetable oil. The baked shells don’t taste the same and are not as crisp when baked.

The shells can be made several days in advance and keep well if stored between layers of paper towel.

Ingredients for filling:

1 lb fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 oz mascarpone cheese (Purists will insist on goats cheese)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon Amaretto
Nuts or chocolate bits are optional. The classic nut is pistachio but some like walnuts.
If that’s your desire add;
1/3 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (not red dyed) or walnuts chopped.
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped (1/2 cup)
These can be added to the filling or you may dip the ends of the filled cannoli into the nuts or chocolate, or both. Use your imagination.

A pastry bag

Beat together ricotta, mascarpone, confectioner’s sugar, Amaretto and cinnamon in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 1 minute (do not overbeat). Fold in nuts and chocolate until combined and chill.
Spoon filling into pastry bag and pipe shell, filling halfway, then pipe into other end. Repeat with remaining shells.

Call some friends and relatives, share and enjoy!

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