Recipe
Sicilian Cannoli
Crisp fried cannoli shells filled with sweet orange-scented ricotta and finished with chocolate and pistachios for a classic Sicilian dessert.
Ingredients
Method
45 mins prep30 mins cook75 mins total
Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve or lined colander for at least 30 minutes so the filling is thick enough to pipe.
Make the dough by rubbing the butter into the flour, caster sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir in the egg, white wine and vinegar until a firm dough forms. Knead briefly until smooth, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Whisk the ricotta with icing sugar and orange zest until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, cover and chill until needed.
Roll the dough very thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds about 10 to 12 cm wide. Wrap each round around a cannoli tube and seal the edge with a little beaten egg white.
Heat the sunflower oil to 180C. Fry the shells in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until blistered and deep golden. Drain well, then carefully slide them off the tubes and cool completely.
Pipe the ricotta filling into both ends of each cooled shell. Dip the ends in chopped pistachios and dust generously with extra icing sugar before serving.
Notes
For the best texture, fill the shells shortly before serving so they stay crisp. If you cannot find cannoli tubes, metal cream horn moulds work well.
About this recipe
Sicilian cannoli are one of Italy's great pastry treats: crisp blistered shells wrapped around a cool, creamy ricotta filling.
This version keeps the filling simple with orange zest and chocolate chips, then finishes each cannolo with chopped pistachios and a dusting of icing sugar for a bakery-style finish.
