Seductive cannoli or tubes from Sicily

Cannoli can now be found in cafes across Italy, but in keeping with tradition, this crispy delight is still considered a winter delicacy. It's all about the filling: it's made from a soft, creamy cheese called ricotta, and Italians believe this cheese tastes best in winter.

The dessert's creators, of course, know best, especially since Italians are renowned connoisseurs of sweets. We'll simply take a closer look at this amazing delicacy, which has long since gained popularity far beyond its homeland.

Meet cannoli

Cannoli pastry is made from thin, crispy, deep-fried pastry tubes filled with a delicate cream made from ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, and candied fruit.

To give the dough the desired shape, it is wrapped around special metal tubes before frying. To ensure the fried pieces retain their crispness (an essential requirement for this dessert), they are either filled immediately before serving or glazed with melted chocolate and sprinkled with crushed pistachios.

In addition to the standard ingredients, it is common to add various liqueurs, syrups, or the local Marsala wine, which is ideal for desserts, to the curd filling.

Preparing the tubes

It's hard to say that this pastry has a single, established, canonical recipe. Even in Sicily itself, every housewife has her own unique method of making it. However, the recipe below is considered traditional.

To make the dough you need to stock up on:

• flour – 250 g;
• cocoa powder – 5 g;
• very finely ground coffee – 1 tsp;
• rendered pork fat – 50 g;
• powdered sugar – 30 g;
• white wine vinegar – 30 ml;
• white wine – 30 g (ideally it should be Marsala);
• cinnamon and salt - 1 teaspoon each;
• 1 egg;
• 1 liter of peanut oil (for deep frying) - can be replaced with vegetable oil.

Cannoli cake starts, of course, with the dough:

1. First, mix all the ingredients except the liquids. These are added last. The dough should be smooth and soft. It's important to note that lard is what gives the dough its elasticity and makes the fried rolls especially crispy. Therefore, replacing it with butter is not recommended, as it could ruin the cake.
2. The formed dough must be wrapped in cling film and kept in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. Now roll the dough out very thinly, no more than 2 mm thick. Then cut out circles of 9 cm in diameter from the dough (using a suitable plate is helpful). Stretch the circles slightly, making them oval.
4. Special forms can be replaced with homemade analogs made from cardboard (cut into 10 cm squares, roll up and secure with a stapler).
5. To form the tubes, wrap the dough sheets around the molds, overlapping them, securing the ends with egg white to prevent them from coming apart during frying. Fry the cannoli in hot oil, a few at a time. The process takes no more than 2 minutes.
6. The finished rolls are placed on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Then, they are removed from the molds and left to cool.

Preparing the cream

It's time to think about the filling. For the cream that will fill the cake, you'll need:

• 750 g ricotta;
• 300 g sugar;
• 40 g each of candied fruit and chocolate chips.

First, mix the ricotta cheese with sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Then, to achieve a particularly airy texture, strain the mixture through a sieve. Add the candied fruit and chocolate, and the cream is ready.

Forming the dessert

So, the preparation is complete, now comes the final stage. Using a pastry bag, fill each cake with the filling, decorate with candied fruit or chopped pistachios, and dust with powdered sugar.

A captivating, tender, crispy delight is ready! Who said you can only taste authentic cannoli in Sicily? Enjoy!

Video recipe for making cannoli