Easy Homemade Cannoli
INGREDIENTS
Shells:
·
2 cups all-purpose flour
·
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
·
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
·
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted
butter, cut into small pieces
·
1 egg yolk
·
1/2 cup dry white wine
Filling:
·
2 cups ricotta cheese, preferably whole
milk
·
3/4 cup powdered sugar
·
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·
1/4 teaspoon allspice
·
1/4 cup heavy cream
·
1/4 cup small semisweet chocolate chips
·
1 lemon
·
1 quart canola oil, for frying
·
Flour, for rolling
·
1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
·
Powdered sugar, for dusting
DIRECTIONS
1.
For the shell dough: In a medium bowl, sift
together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the butter pieces into the flour with
your fingers until the mixture becomes coarse and sandy. Add the egg yolk and
the white wine and mix until it becomes a smooth dough. Spread a piece of
plastic wrap on a flat surface and place the dough in the center. Wrap the
plastic loosely around it and press the dough to fill the gap. Flattening the
dough will mean less rolling later. Let it rest in the fridge for a few minutes
while you make the filling.
2.
For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the
ricotta until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Mix to
blend. In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the
whisk attachment), beat the heavy cream until fairly stiff. Using a rubber
spatula, gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the chocolate
chips. Lightly zest the exterior of the lemon and stir it into the ricotta.
Refrigerate for a half hour to an hour.
3.
To roll and fry the shells: In a medium pot
with a heavy bottom, heat the canola oil to 360 degrees F. Meanwhile, sift an
even layer of flour on a flat surface. Flour a rolling pin. Roll the dough
until it is very thin (about 1/8-inch thick). Cut the dough into fourths and
work in small batches. Use any glass or small bowl that has a 3-to-4-inch
diameter. Cut rounds, tracing around each one to assure the dough has been
fully cut. You should have about 24 circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli
mold. Use a little of the egg wash on the edge of each round to seal it shut
and to assure it won't slide or fall off the mold before pressing it closed
over the mold. Flare the edges out slightly from the mold. Flaring will allow
the oil to penetrate each cannoli shell as they fry. Use a pair of tongs to
hold the edge of the mold as you submerge and fry the shell in the oil until
crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil, and holding the mold in one had
with your tongs, gently grip the shell in your other hand with a kitchen towel
and carefully slide it off the mold. Set aside to cool. Repeat with all of the
circles.
4.
To fill the cannolis: Just before serving,
use a pastry bag without a tip to pipe the ricotta into the cannoli molds. Fill
the cannoli shells from both ends so the cream runs through the whole shell.
Dust with powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives that little extra sweetness and
added texture to the exterior. It also makes me feel like I have a professional
bakery touch in my own home. Serve immediately.
Cook’s
Note
If the ricotta has an excess of liquid, drain it over a
strainer for at least a half an hour before making the filling. Make and fry
the shells and the filling. Don't fill the shells with the cream until you are
ready to eat them. Everyone loves a crispy cannoli.
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