These adorable Italian pastries not only have a delectable appearance and flavor, but this recipe for cannoli keeps true to the original, right down to the blended peel and chocolate pieces in the interior and the garnish of chopped pistachios. These are too good to pass up! The cannoli should only be filled right before serving to prevent soggy shells.
| Prep Time: | 35 mins |
| Cook Time: | 10 mins |
| Additional Time: | 3 hrs 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 4 hrs 30 mins |
| Servings: | 20 |
| Yield: | 20 cannoli |
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup mixed peel
- 1 ½ ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dry Marsala wine, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar, or more to taste
- corn oil for frying
- 3 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, or to taste
Instructions
- Beat ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in mixed peel and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Mix flour, Marsala wine, butter, sugar, and vinegar together in a bowl to make cannoli dough. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into twenty 4-inch squares. Wrap each square around a metal tubular mold, overlapping ends and dabbing with warm water to seal.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower some cannoli molds into the hot oil; cook until shells are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cannoli molds. Cool briefly; twist molds carefully to remove shells. Let shells cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Fill cooled cannoli shells with ricotta filling using a spoon or piping bag. Arrange cannoli on a serving platter. Garnish with pistachios; sprinkle 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar on top.
- It’s best if you use tubular cannoli molds.
- You can replace sheep’s milk ricotta with the more typical cow’s milk version. The flavor will be less intense but your cannoli will still be tasty.
- You can make the filling and shells well in advance, just keep them separated until serving. The shells can be stored for weeks in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. Amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 177 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 16 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Sodium | 68 mg |
| Sugars | 12 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |