by Matthew Luca
A world without cannoli is like a world without the earth beneath our feet, it would be impossible.
The first Cannoli I tasted was at the world famous Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken New Jersey ( home of THE CAKE BOSS hit TV show). The owner (Buddy Valastro) really works his magic creating these Italian and now American favourites with various fillings. I'm basing my recipe using some traditional Sicilian methods and my own travel influences as well as taste preferences, I hope you like them. You'll also need (Cannoli forms) these are the thin metal tubes that you use to make the shells, I purchased mine from eBay.
Ingredients
For the Dough (Cannoli Shells)
275g Plain Flour (plus extra for dusting)
2 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt
50g Butter
10ml White wine vinegar
30ml Amaretto Liqueur
(2 litres of Vegetable or Sunflower oil for frying) Peanut oil is preferred but quite expensive for deep frying.
Method
In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, cinnamon, cocoa and butter then mix together until you have reached a breadcrumb type texture. Put in the eggs and butter then mix together to form a dry dough. Add the white wine vinegar, knead into the dough then add the amaretto liqueur and contine to work into the dough. At this stage the dough will be quite wet so using some extra plain flour 1 tablespoon at a time, add to the dough until it becomes dry enough to knead without it sticking to your hands.
Knead the dough ball on a lightly floured surface for 4-5 mins until elastic and combined well, shape into a ball then wrap tightly in cling film and leave to firm in the fridge for around 1 hour.
Remove dough from the fridge and cut a slice off around 1/2 inch thick and with a rolling pin roll out the dough until paper thin.
Cut out circles (4-5 inches in diameter) and roll each one around a cannoli form (tip: use a little egg white to stick down the fold of the dough around the form) then set aside on a floured surface.
In a large heavy based pan or fat fryer, fill up to around 4 inches (ensuring their is at least another 3 inch gap to the rim of the pot, if not use a larger pan). heat oil to around 180c or until a piece of bread takes 10 seconds to turn golden brown. then carefully add the cannoli forms into the hot oil (only two at a time in the pan) and fry until golden brown, this will take around 1 min. remove from the oil being careful to ensure all the hot oil has drained out of the form tubes and then set aside on some kitchen towl for 5 minutes until cool.
When the form tubes are cool, slightly bang the forms in an upright position on a work surface then gently remove the cannoli shell away from the metal form. repeat this process until complete.
For the Filling
Ingredients
500g Ricotta cheese (Drained)
100g Icing Sugar (plus extra for dusting)
40g chopped glace fruit
1/2 vanilla pod (seeds only)
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp amaretto liqueur
Method
In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, sugar, vanilla seeds, orange zest and amaretto with a whisk until smooth and silky. Add the glace fruit and fold in gently. Place filling into piping bags or sandwich bags ready for piping (if using the sandwich bag just snip a 5 cm hole in the corner and push down.
To make the cannoli, pipe some filling into each side of the shell/tube, you can garnish the ends with candied fruit of you like then sprinkle over some icing sugar for decoration.
Watch the YouTube video for a recipe walk through