Cannoli

Strain Ricotta First:

1. Place a large strainer in a mixing bowl, making sure there’s at least an inch of space between the bottom of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl. Line the strainer with two layers of cheesecloth (or you may use paper towels) then add the ricotta, wrap the cheesecloth around the ricotta and place something heavy over the cheesecloth to help squeeze the liquid out. Press firmly and then allow this to sit in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Cannoli Shells

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon in the basin of a food processor and pulse to combine.
2. Add the butter and briefly pulse until it’s cut into the mixture.
3. Add egg yolk, wine, and vinegar and pulse until the dough is just combined. It will be a very dry, crumbly dough but if you take a spoonful of it and press it between your thumb and fingers it should cling together (see photos or video for visual if needed). If the dough is too dry you can add a splash more wine.
4. Form the dough into two smooth disks, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30-60 minutes.
5. About 10 minutes before dough is finished chilling, fill a heavy-bottomed pot 2-3” deep with oil and heat over medium heat. Fix a candy thermometer on the side and monitor the temperature (you are aiming for a steady temperature of 375F (190C)).
6. Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as you possibly can, aim for paper-thin thickness (though it’s likely you won’t be able to get it quite this thin).
7. Use a 3.5” round cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can from the dough, then repeat with the other half of your dough. While you can re-group the scraps and re-roll them out, the shells tend to puff and look craggy and thick when this is done, so try to get as many cuts as possible out of each first roll.
8. Wrap the dough around the length of the cannoli tube so the ends overlap. Keep a dish of water nearby and dab a bit of water on the seam to press the edges together firmly so they stick and don’t pop apart when frying (see image or video for visual).
9. Once oil reaches a steady 375F (190C), use a pair of tongs to carefully lower 2-3 shells into the oil. Cook for 90-120 seconds or golden brown. Use tongs to carefully remove them from the oil and place on a cooling rack (place paper towels underneath for easy cleanup!).
10. Allow to cool for several minutes then carefully remove the tube from the shell (you’ll need to wipe clean and reuse the tubes). I do this by using two paper towels to avoid having to touch the hot shell or tube.
11. Repeat with remaining dough until you have fried all of your shells (always make sure oil returns to temperature before frying the next round of shells), then prepare your filling.

Cannoli Filling

1. Place your strained ricotta in a large bowl and stir in 1 ¾ cup (215g) powdered sugar and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and ¼ cup (35g) powdered sugar and beat until you achieve stiff peaks.
2. Stir together the ricotta mixture and the whipped cream until combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to fill and serve your shells.
3. Pipe filling into cannoli shells (I used a Wilton 4B tip but any tip that fits into the shell will work!). If desired, sprinkle ends with mini chocolate chips or finely chopped nuts and dust shells with powdered sugar. Enjoy!