Homemade Cannoli

A big holiday weekend is just around the corner.... and when I think of big holidays, I think of big family gatherings.... and when I think of big family gatherings, I think of big platters of delicious cannoli!  If you live in a big city, you're likely able to get your hands on some pretty good cannoli, but I live in the burbs, were a good cannoli is practically unheard of, so I make my own.  And now you can make your own too - this is how it's done. 

Note:  plan ahead, the filling needs to be prepared about 24 hours before using.  The cannoli shells can be used immediately after cooking, but you can also make them several days ahead of time if you store them in an airtight container (or freeze for up to a month).

Start by mixing together a simple cannoli shell dough, similar to the way you'd make pie dough.  I like to make my dough in the food processor (if you want to see that, check out my all-butter pie crust tutorial). 

The dough will look crumbly, but should hold together when compressed.  The least messy way to do this is to place the crumbles in a large zipper bag and press them into a disk shape.

Seal the bag and place the dough in the fridge.

The dough should chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

When it's time to roll the dough, remove it from the fridge and dust it with a little flour.

Now go down to the basement and dig out your pasta machine (am I right??).  Set the rollers at the widest setting.  For my machine, the widest setting starts at #1, but some machines that would actually be the thinnest setting.  You'll be able to figure out the widest setting on your machine pretty easily.

No pasta machine?  No problem - you can use a rolling pin, but I have to tell you, using a pasta machine is so much more fun! 

Ok, now that your pasta machine's rollers are set for the widest setting, pass the flour-dusted cannoli dough through the rollers.  If you have any kids around, I bet they'd enjoy cranking the handle.

Adjust the rollers of the pasta machine one level thinner.  Dust the now elongated piece of dough with a little more flour and pass it through the machine again.

Continue dusting, adjusting, and rolling, one level at a time, until the dough is very thin like (1/16-inch) - level #5 on my machine (the thinner you roll the dough, the more bubbles will appear on the shells when you fry them).

Continue dusting, rolling, adjusting... dusting, rolling, adjusting....

When you've reached the 5th level, stop rolling and grab a 4-inch round cutter..  Dust the cutter in flour and start cutting the cannoli shells.

The round cutouts aren't quite ready to use yet...

One more quick pass through the pasta machine, this time on the 6th level.  This will turn the round cutouts into ovals - you'll see why in a moment.

Alrighty, time to wrap the dough around the stainless cannoli forms.

Add a dab of water just where the two ends overlap.  Be careful not to get water on the cannoli form because it will cause the dough to stick and the shell will break when you try to remove it.

Press the overlapping edges together well to make sure they're sealed.  If you don't, they can pop open and fall off the form during frying.

If you like, you can flare the ends a little.  Honestly, it looks nice, but I don't usually bother.

Continue rolling the shells while you heat several inches of peanut oil in a deep pan.  

Heat the oil to 360F.  A good candy/oil thermometer is vital (I have this one).

You should also have ready a pair of tongs to remove the shells from the hot oil, and a paper towel lined sheet pan to place them on.  

CAREFULLY place the dough-wrapped cannoli forms in the oil and cook until brown and bubbly, being careful not to crowd the pan.  Watch the oil temp - it shouldn't fall below 350F. 

The shells will deepen in color a bit after being removed from the oil so it's not a bad idea to make a few practice ones first.

Carefully remove the extremely hot cannoli forms from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to cool for a few minutes (watch for hot oil inside the forms).  Carefully slide the shells off the forms (if the shells are too hot, hold them with a clean kitchen towel).   Allow the forms to cool completely before wrapping with more dough.  Continue until all the shells are done.

Remember what I told about not pressing the seams closed well enough?  Oops!  No biggie, cook's treat ;).  

Let me point out a few differences between the two shells above.  The non-flared one on the left started with a thinner disk of dough (resulting in tiny surface bubbles), but you can see by the color that it was left in the hot oil just a little too long.  The flared one on the right started with slightly thicker dough (larger surface bubbles), but it spent the right amount of time in the hot oil.

The shells should be allowed to cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to a week (or freeze for up to a month).  

IMPORTANT:  Don't fill the cannoli shells until just before serving.

To make the filling, drain ricotta cheese in a cloth lined strainer overnight in the fridge.  Cover with plastic to keep the cheese from absorbing any refrigerator odors. 

Once all the excess whey has drained from the ricotta, add the softened mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, pure vanilla extract (use the best), and ground cinnamon.  Mix them well and chill for 8-12 hours for best flavor.

When you're ready to fill the shells (shortly before serving), put the filling in a large pastry bag (I like these) or large, heavy-duty zipper bag and cut a 1/2-inch hole at the tip.  Squeeze the filling into each end of the cannoli shells, then dip in chopped pistachios or mini chocolate chips (or both!).  Place the cannoli on a platter and dust with confectioner's sugar (this nifty tool is fun).  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• manual pasta machine https://amzn.to/44327rD

• pasta machine attachment for stand mixer https://amzn.to/434Sbwm

• cannoli forms https://amzn.to/3JzdnUu

• spider strainer https://amzn.to/3GD7kdp

• candy/oil thermometer https://amzn.to/4372pwi

• round cutter set https://amzn.to/44jAsT9

• disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/2DUO4HZ

• large pastry tubes https://amzn.to/3JbQJPo

• powdered sugar duster https://amzn.to/2pHT0Lb

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Homemade Cannoli

makes about 24 cannoli (leftover cannoli dough can be frozen for use later)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cannoli Shells:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 cup dry white or rose wine

Cannoli Filling:

• 2 cups very well drained ricotta cheese (see notes below)

• 6 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• mini chocolate chips and chopped pistachios for garnish

Directions

To make the cannoli dough:

1. In the bowl of a small food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

2. Add the butter, egg yolk, and wine, pulsing until the mixture looks uniformly crumbled.

3. Place crumbles in zipper bag and press into a disk shape.

4. Seal bag well and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

To make the cannoli shells:

1. Roll dough very thin (about 1/16th-inch) using pasta machine, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.

2. Cut 4-inch circles using a round biscuit of cookie cutter and pass each round through the pasta machine one more time to turn the round into an oval.

3. Wrap oval dough around stainless cannoli forms; moisted overlapping edges with a little water and press well to seal (keeping water off cannoli form.

4. Fry shells in 360F oil until bubbly and golden; remove from heat, drain, and remove from forms when cool enough to do so. Cool completely before filling. Leftover shells can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week (or frozen for up to a month).

To make the filling:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or BeaterBlade attachment, place drained ricotta, mascarpone, cream, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon; beat on medium speed until smooth.

2. Place mixture in a pastry bag or sturdy zip top bag; refrigerate until ready to use. Don't fill shells until serving.

Notes

• To drain ricotta, place in a sieve lined with cheesecloth (or coffee filter, linen tea towel, etc) and suspend over a bowl; cover well with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

• Prepared filling should chill 8-12 hours for best flavor.

• For best results, fill shells just before serving.

• If you don’t have metal cannoli tubes, you can use 1 1/4-inch thick wooden dowels that have been cut to 6-inch lengths.

I got this lovely message from a fellow foodie:

I have searched for a cannoli shell recipe for a very long time that is reminiscent of my Sicilian heritage. Bubbled pastry with a sturdiness. I can be obnoxious on quality to the point that I’ve made homemade impastata for a few years because getting it is nearly impossible and because good shells aren’t available to purchase in the south either, I’ve shipped them from upstate ny for 15 years. Crazy right?!?! Last week, I decided I was going find or modify a recipe. With the forms from Italy in hand, I have made 10 recipes which all failed to capture my idea of a perfect shell. I saw your recipe last night and was so excited to finally find one that made sense to me. I’m a huge pastry and artisan bread baker so I know kneading dough creates gluten which is the opposite of what you want in pastry. I’ve read people saying so many times that kneading gives you the bubbles or the vinegar gives you bubbles. All nonsense! I just finished my test of your recipe. Perfection! Thank you. -CM

The New Tiramisu

It's a new year, which means most food bloggers are posting light, healthy recipes, but I'm going to be a rebel and share a decadent dessert, The New Tiramisu. Tiramisu recipes themselves aren't new, they've been around for 4o or 50 years, but this is a new version that's a bit faster and easier to make.  Most traditional recipes call for raw eggs, but this version calls for no raw eggs, or any eggs at all for that matter.  And instead of dusting the top with bitter, unsweetened cocoa powder, I opted to use high quality grated chocolate.  I always prefer the flavor and texture of real chocolate to unsweetened cocoa powder.  Let's make some Tiramisu!

Start by preparing a coffee soaking mixture.  I use strongly brewed coffee, but diluted espresso can be used as well.  Whatever you choose, be sure it's high quality - really good coffee and the very best pure vanilla extract are key.  This liquid is the main flavor component of the dessert so don't skimp.

I served my Tiramisu at a family function with small children so I didn't add any alcohol, but feel free to add it if you like.  Simply stir in your favorite spirit to taste - Kahlua, Rum, Amaretto, or Chocolate Liqueur would be nice.   

Set the coffee mixture aside and make the creamy filling.  Again, quality really counts here - the ingredients you use can make a big difference so use the very best pure vanilla, cream, and mascarpone cheese you can get your hands on.

I like to buy mascarpone that's imported from Italy, but I thought I'd also try Trader Joe's version to see how it compared.  The imported mascarpone is a little more expensive (about $1 more), but wow, it was way, way better.  I'll show you...

Here you can see the difference between the two brands of mascarpone cheese. The kind of watery, slightly grainy, yellow one on the left is from TJs.  The much creamier, dense, white one on the right is imported.  If all you can get your hands on is TJs, by all means, fine, but if you have access to imported mascarpone, get it - you won't regret it!

Anyway, cream the room temperature mascarpone, sugar, and pure vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor.  SLOWLY pour in the heavy cream - adding the cold cream too quickly will cause the room temp mascarpone to clump so take your time.  Stop mixing when the whip attachment starts to leave distinct track marks in the cheese mixture.  Don't mix too long or you'll run the risk of over whipping.

Ok, we're done with that - and it was easy!  Alrighty, time to essemble the tiramisu.

You'll need two 7-ounce packages of Savoiardi cookies (48 cookies), also known as lady fingers, but NOT the soft, spongy kind - be sure to get the dry, crispy kind.  Again, these are imported from Italy.    

In a 9x13-inch or 3-quart casserole dish (I like this clear one), spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture.  This is going to act as glue to anchor the savoiardi.

Quickly dip the savoiardi, ONE AT A TIME, in the coffee mixture and QUICKLY place them in the casserole dish.  If you dip them for too long (more than a second or two), they'll start to disintegrate so move fast.  Also, you might want to wear a disposable food safe glove on you dipping hand to keep the coffee mixture from staining your fingers and cuticles.

Line up the savoiardi like little soldiers.  If you need to squish one or two in the dish, wait a couple of minutes until the coffee mixture has had a chance to soften the cookies, then it'll be easy for you to "encourage" them to fall in line.  Fuhgettaboutit!  

The ocd baker in me wishes I would have used a dish that was just a tad wider so I could line two rows of cookies next to each other in the same direction, but once you start, there's no going back so you might want to do a dry run to see how they're going to fit in your dish if you're concerned.  Otherwise, just get them in there any way you can.  It'll still taste just as good.  I promise.

When the bottom of the dish is full, use an offset spatula to spread a nice layer of the cheese mixture on top of the cookies.  You can use up to half of the cheese mixture in this layer.  I used a little less because I knew I'd have a few leftover savoiardi cookies and I had plans for them. Stick with me and I'll show you at the end of this post what I did with them.

Now the whole process is repeated.  For the nicest presentation, try to stack the cookies in the same direction as the layer below.  This mixture will firm up nicely when it's chilled so there's absolutely no need to stagger the direction of the layers, which is something I've read in a number of recipes.  Boggles me. 

Anyway, I told you I was going to have some leftover savoiardi.  Eight of them to be exact, so I held back enough of the cheese mixture to make 4 mini tiramisu.  I'd estimate about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture per 4-ounce ramekin.  Simply dip a savoiardi cookie in the coffee mixture and break it in half before placing it in the ramekin... 

Then top with 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture, repeat with another cookie, and finally, the remaining cheese mixture; spreading the top layer smooth.

Grate your favorite chocolate and spread it evenly all over the top of the Tiramisu. Now it's important to cover well with plastic wrap (to prevent absorption of refrigerator odors) and chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight or up to several days is even better.   Serve chilled.  

Delizioso! 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• savoiardi cookies (ladyfingers) https://amzn.to/338gm4k

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3r9wNGK

• 9x13 casserole dish https://amzn.to/2D7G60j

• individual ramekins https://amzn.to/2Z2xu4n

• food safe gloves https://amzn.to/3oy9vbJ

• 4-ounce ramekins https://amzn.to/3uzQLMW

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The New Tiramisu

makes 9x13 pan (12 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups very strong coffee, cooled

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or see note below)

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 cup heavy cream or whipping cream

• 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, grated

• 14 ounces savoiardi cookies (the crisp kind, not spongy)

Directions

1. In a shallow dish large enough to dip an entire savoiardi cookies, combine the coffee, 2 tablespoons or sugar, and pure vanilla extract (or alcohol if using); set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, cream the room temperature mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and pure vanilla extract on medium speed, just until combined; stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Turn the mixer back on medium speed and slowly pour in the cold heavy cream; increase speed to medium-high and continue to whip until the whip leaves distinct tracks in the mixture.

4. To assemble, spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

5. Dip the savoiardi cookies, ONE AT A TIME, in the coffee mixture and QUICKLY place them in the bottom of the casserole dish; repeat until the bottom of the pan is filled with cookies.

6. Top with half of the cheese mixture, spreading it into an even layer.

7. Repeat step 5; follow by repeating step 6.

8. Sprinkle grated chocolate all over the top.

9. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hour, or up to several days. Serve chilled.

Notes

• If you'd like to add alcohol to the coffee mixture, add enough to suit your taste. Kahlua, Rum, Amaretto, and Chocolate Liqueur are nice options.

• Can be assembled several days ahead of time.