Sicilian Ricotta Cannoli from Scratch
Ingredients
For the shells
2 cups 00 flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 eggs (one for the dough, one as egg wash)
1/2 cup dry white wine
Vegetable oil for frying
Flour for rolling
For the filling
3 cups ricotta
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped chocolate
1 tablespoon of lemon or orange zest
For the dressing
Icing sugar, for dusting
Finely chopped nuts, chocolate or fruit
Special Equipment
Pasta machine for rolling the dough
A deep fryer or medium pan for frying
Cannoli moulds
Piping bag
A large cookie cutter or small ramekin
Method
To make the dough for the shells, mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and mix through with your hands. Add 1 egg, continue to mix, and then add the wine gradually. Knead until the mixture comes together as a ball, no longer. Wrap it in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge.
A few hours before preparing the filling, drain the ricotta over a cheese cloth or sieve to strain out any milk. To make the filling, add the ricotta into a bowl and fold in the cream, citrus zest and chocolate. Set aside in the fridge.
Next, roll your dough with a pasta machine – rolling it through 2-3 settings, starting from the thickest setting. Cut small circles of dough using a ramekin or cookie cutter. Take your first dough circle and add a splash of egg on one edge. Place your canolli mould in the middle of the dough circle, and wrap the dough around the mould, pressing to connect both sides together to form a tube. Gently fold the edges of the cannoli out.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or deep pan until it reaches about 180 degrees celcius. Drop in the cannoli, and fry for about 90 seconds. Remove when golden brown and drop onto a paper towel. Allow to cool slightly, and gently pull out the mould from the centre of the cannoli shell. Repeat until all of your dough has been fried.
Add the mixture to a piping pag and pipe each side of the cannoli. Dip each side in crushed nuts or finely chopped fruit. Cover with lightly dusted icing sugar and serve ✨
