Cannoli Siciliani

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cannoli tubes, metal, 5 to 6 inches long (at least 6, preferably 12)
• •Heavy deep pot for frying
• •Candy or deep-fry thermometer
• •Rolling pin
• •4-inch round cutter
• •Pastry bag with large plain tip
• •Fine-mesh strainer and cheesecloth for draining ricotta

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the ricotta

   This step must begin the night before, or at minimum six hours ahead. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Spoon the ricotta into the lined strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The ricotta will release a surprising amount of liquid. By morning, it should feel dense and dry when pressed with your finger. Watery ricotta is the single greatest cause of failure in cannoli making.

   Sheep's milk ricotta, traditional in Sicily, contains less moisture and has a more pronounced flavor. If you find it, buy it. If not, drain the cow's milk ricotta thoroughly. There is no acceptable shortcut.
2. 2

   Make the dough

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold lard pieces and work them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. This takes two to three minutes. Do not use a food processor; you need to feel the dough develop. Make a well in the center. Add the egg and Marsala. Stir with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges until a shaggy dough forms.

3. 3

   Knead and rest the dough

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. The dough should feel supple, not sticky. If it clings to your hands, add flour sparingly. Shape into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour. The dough must rest. Skipping this step produces shells that shrink and toughen.

   The dough can rest overnight. In fact, it benefits from the extended rest. The flour hydrates fully, making rolling easier and the final shells more tender.
4. 4

   Prepare the filling

   Transfer the drained ricotta to a large bowl. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Fold in the diced candied citron and chopped chocolate. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. The filling should be sweet but not cloying. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

   Some Sicilian versions add no vanilla, letting the ricotta speak for itself. Others include a tablespoon of finely chopped candied pumpkin. Follow your taste, but keep the additions restrained. The ricotta is the star.
5. 5

   Roll the dough

   Divide the chilled dough in half. Work with one portion while the other stays refrigerated. Roll the dough as thin as possible, about 1/16 inch thick. You should nearly see your hand through it. This is thinner than you think it should be. Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut circles. Gather scraps, re-roll once only, and cut more circles. Dough rolled more than twice becomes tough.

6. 6

   Shape the shells

   Lightly oil your cannoli tubes. Place a dough circle on your work surface and set a tube diagonally across the center. Roll the dough around the tube, overlapping the edges slightly. Brush the overlap with beaten egg white and press firmly to seal. The seal must hold or the shell will open during frying. Repeat with remaining circles.

   Traditional cannoli tubes are metal cylinders about 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. If you lack them, wooden dowels wrapped in foil work adequately, though metal conducts heat better and produces crisper shells.
7. 7

   Heat the frying fat

   Pour lard or vegetable oil into a deep heavy pot to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat to 360°F. Use a thermometer. Guessing at oil temperature is foolish when the difference between success and failure is 20 degrees. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it nearby.

8. 8

   Fry the shells

   Lower 3 or 4 prepared tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pot; the temperature will drop too much. Fry, turning occasionally with tongs, until the shells are deep golden brown and covered with blisters, about 2 to 3 minutes. The blistering is essential. Smooth shells lack the proper texture. Transfer to paper towels and let cool for one minute, then carefully slide the shells off the tubes using a kitchen towel to protect your hands. The tubes are hot.

   Let the tubes cool slightly between batches or have multiple sets. Wrapping dough around a hot tube causes the egg white seal to cook prematurely and fail.
9. 9

   Cool completely

   Transfer the fried shells to a wire rack and cool completely. This takes at least 30 minutes. A shell that feels cool on the outside may still hold warmth within. If you fill a warm shell, the heat will melt the filling and soften the pastry. Patience.

10. 10

    Fill at the last moment

    Just before serving, and not one moment sooner, transfer the ricotta filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe filling into each shell from both ends, meeting in the middle. The filling should mound slightly at each opening. Press chopped pistachios into the exposed filling at each end. Dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

    If you do not own a pastry bag, a sturdy plastic bag with the corner cut works adequately. Or use a small spoon, though this is slower. What matters is that filling meets shell only when mouths are ready.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out Sicilian pistachios from Bronte if possible. They are smaller and more intensely green than Iranian or Californian varieties, with a sweeter, more delicate flavor. They cost more because they are worth more.
• •Lard produces the most authentic shells, with a flavor and texture that vegetable oil cannot match. If you object to lard, use a neutral oil like peanut or vegetable, but know you are making a compromise.
• •The shells can be fried up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They remain crisp if kept dry. The filling can be prepared one day ahead. But the two must not meet until the moment of serving.
• •In Sicily, some pasticcerie dip the ends of the shells in melted chocolate before filling, adding another layer of protection against moisture. This is acceptable, even delicious, though not strictly traditional everywhere on the island.

Advance Preparation

• •The ricotta must be drained overnight. Begin this step the day before you plan to serve.
• •The dough can be made one day ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated.
• •Shells can be fried up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •The filling can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated. Stir before using.
• •Fill the cannoli only at the moment of serving. A cannolo filled 10 minutes ahead is already compromised. One filled an hour ahead is ruined.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 73g)