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Crunchy cannoli shells filled with sweetened ricotta and orange zest. This delicious Italian dessert can be finished in different ways to fit even the pickiest palette. From chocolate and candied orange zest to pistachio and powdered sugar.
Now making the shells at home is not for the faint of heart. It’s definitely a labor of love. If you just want to buy the shells there is no shame in that. Especially if you are making the filling.
TOOLS YOU NEED
To make these little bastards, you’ll need a 5 inch round cutter or you can use a Tupperware container like I did. To fry them you MUST get some cannoli cylinders.
Would I make these shells often? Probably not, but I will try other oils and flavor combos. You can make these ahead of time so at least you can fry them a week before they are needed. Just fill them right before serving.
Cannoli Ricotta Filling
Ingredients
- 32 oz Ricotta cheese drained
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Let site in fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
- Pipe into shells when ready to serve.
Notes
Cannoli Shells
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp butter chilled and cubed
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp white wine or marsala
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- Oil or lard for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon together.
- Using dough hook add wine, egg, and lemon.
- When dough starts to form crumbles, drop in butter cubes and mix on medium.
- Dump dough out on lightly floured counter. Knead till a smooth dough, about 6 minutes.
- Chill dough at least 1 hour.
- Break dough into 4 – 6 pieces. Flatten each ball with hand a bit.
- Put 1 piece thru a pasta roller on first setting. You may need to flour the piece and run it thru the first setting a few times.
- Put the dough thru once on each setting till 5 or 6. Depending on machine.
- Lay smooth dough ribbon on floured surface.
- Using a 4 – 5” circle cutter or bowl, cut circles out of dough. Place them aside, if sticking lightly flour to stack.
- Heat oil while you finish cutting all the dough. Should be about 365F.
- Have pan with paper towel ready, can place cooling rack over it for draining.
- Flour the cannoli cylinders so they don’t stick after cooking. Lightly roll circle around cylinder, use water to wet end with finger to act as glue. Seal end and lightly smash the end together.
- Carefully place the ready cannoli molds in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan, do 4 – 5 at a time.
- Fry for about 2-3 minutes or till a nice golden color.
- Place cooked shells on rack. Let cool a few minutes before taking molds carefully out.
Notes
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