Ricotta Cannoli
Cannoli is a delicate deep fried pastry shell filled with a sweet ricotta creamy filling sprinkled with a touch of icing sugar. No one is allowed to ‘sneak one’ from the fridge - so tempting! As it is typically served after a celebratory meal alongside espresso or a glass of sweet sparkling wine.
INGREDIENTS
Cannoli dough
1 1⁄2 cups plain flour, sifted
1⁄2 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted 1 orange, rind only
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1⁄4 cup marsala wine
Sweet ricotta filling
850g fresh ricotta, drained well 100g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup finely crushed pistachio
1⁄4 cup finely grated 70% dark chocolate
1 orange, rind only
Extras
1⁄2 cup of plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten, for sealing the cannoli
1 litre vegetable oil, for deep frying
1⁄2 cup finely crushed pistachio, for garnish
1⁄2 cup finely grated dark chocolate, for garnish 1⁄4 cup icing sugar, for garnish
PREPARATION
Cannoli dough: Make the cannoli dough, wrap in plastic and put it the fridge for at least 30 mins before the making.
Cannoli filling: Prepare all the cannoli filling ingredients (see recipe below) ready to make the ricotta cream.
Extras preparation:
1⁄2 cup of plain flour, for dusting when making the cannoli shells 1 egg, beaten, for sealing the cannoli
1⁄2 cup finely crushed pistachio, for garnish
1⁄2 cup finely grated 70% dark chocolate, for garnish
1⁄4 cup icing sugar
METHOD
Prepare the cannoli dough
In a medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa, orange rind, sugar and mix well. Make a well in the centre and add the melted butter, beaten egg and marsala. With a fork, whisk the wet ingredients to combine and then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients to this until a shaggy dough forms.
Place this shaggy dough onto a lightly floured bench top and knead well for about 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
If the dough is really sticky, add a bit more flour (not too much!) until it comes together well.
Cover this dough with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30-60 mins.
Make the cannoli shells
To make the cannoli shells, cut 1⁄4 of the dough and keep the remaining dough covered in plastic wrap on the bench.
Lightly flour the first piece of dough and mould it into a square disc.
Place this piece of dough through the largest roller setting of the pasta machine and feed it through once.Then increase the pasta setting by one and feed the dough through the pasta machine roller again to make the dough thinner.
Repeat this process, by increasing the pasta machine roller setting until the sheet of dough is 2mm thick (For the Atlas brand pasta machine, that is typically on the ‘Number 6’ setting).
Using your pastry cutter, cut the pastry sheet into approximately 9cm squares. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Working with one square at a time; wrap the square pastry sheets gently around the cannoli metal rings. Lightly brush the ‘join’ of the pastry and press down to seal it to make sure that it sticks together and doesn’t come apart when you deep fry them (Important! Do not get any egg on the metal cannoli ring as you won’t be able to take the cannoli shell off the ring once fried).
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil to 180 degree celcius. You can also test the temperature by putting a small piece of uncooked cannoli pastry in the oil. If it sizzles gently, it is ready to go.
Deep-fry the wrapped cannoli two at a time, for approximately 1-2 minutes until crisp and slightly coloured. You need to stand there and watch it. Don’t leave the stove at this point.
When ready, gently pull out the cannoli with your metal tongs and drain the oil out of the rings before placing the cannoli shell on absorbent paper to cool slightly.
Gently release the pastry shell from the metal ring and let it cool completely.
Prepare the cannoli filling
In a medium bowl place the drained ricotta, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, orange rind, pistachio and chocolate.
Using a hand or stand mixer whisk well until smooth and creamy.
Taste the mixture to make sure that all the flavours are combined and it is too your liking.
Put the cannoli filling in the fridge until it is ready to be used.
Assemble the cannoli
Just before serving, spoon the ricotta cream mixture into the piping bag with the piping tip attachment and pipe the ricotta mixture into the cannoli shell by starting from the centre of the cannoli working out to one side of the shell and then the other side of the shell.
Dip one side with grated chocolate and the other side with finely chopped pistachio nuts.
Sprinkle gently with icing sugar on top and serve immediately!
Enjoy!