They came out very well.







Recipe:

Pastry shell:

2 cups AP flour
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup marsala wine (can use up to a full cup)
1 egg

I used a stand mixer and whisk, but you can literally mix this with your hands. Cut butter into flour mix, start mixer on low. Add in sugar, cinnamon, egg, and wine. I added up to a full cup of wine because as the dough started to come together, it became too grainy, and the extra wine hydrated it and gave me the consistency I wanted. Once dough it made, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for an hour to two hours.

Filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese (well drained)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

I wrapped the ricotta in some cheescloth, flattened it out in a bowl, put another bowl on it, and put a can into that bowl to weight it down and drain out the moisture. You want to squeeze as much moisture out of the ricotta as you can. Pour heavy whipping cream into the mixing bowl. Mix on high until it stiffens into a whipped cream, fold in powdered sugar, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and ricotta cheese. Whisk until well mixed and you have a smooth consistency outside of the chocolate chips. Place mixture in fridge for 30 minutes. No need to take filling out until you are ready to serve the cannoli.

Take dough out of fridge after 1-2 hours, and divide into quarters. On a floured surface, roll out dough as thin as possible. (I used a manual pasta machine on setting #2, but you want it about the thickness of a dime.) Use a bowl or a glass 3-4 inches in diameter, and cut a circle around the glass. This should give you roughly 24 circles.

Wrap the circle around the cannoli mold, using egg wash or milk to seal the edge shut do it won't slip open while frying. Set a large pot of canola oil on the oven on low until it gets to a temperature of 360 degrees. Drop the molds into the oil for up to 2 minutes until they turn a golden brown. Remove molds from oil and let shells cool on paper towels. Grip mold with one hand towel, grip the shell with a paper towel, and remove shell from mold. Shells can keep up to 2 months.

When ready to serve, remove filling from fridge, and put in a pastry bag or a plastic bag where you've cut off an edge. Pipe filling into the shells from both ends so they are stuffed. Decorate filling with more mini-chocolate chips, and dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy.

Nice work. I never got enough courage to fry my own shells, I usually purchase store made, but make my own filling. I might try it now after seeing yours.

Sorrell Booke said:

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Nice work. I never got enough courage to fry my own shells, I usually purchase store made, but make my own filling. I might try it now after seeing yours.

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The dough recipe is pretty forgiving, so I'd say give it a shot.

Just be sure to set your stove on low and let the oil get up to temperature. I forgot and set mine on high, and had to deal with my smoke detector going off after frying a few batches of shells.

I don't use a temperature gauge for the oil, just dropped a small piece of dough in to test it, so when it started frying I knew I was good to go. I also don't have a rolling pin, which is why I used the pasta machine to flatten my dough.

If someone lacking certain essential tools to make this recipe can wing it and still turn out a great product, I'm sure you'll do fine.

I've seen instruction online on how to make your own cannoli molds out of foil, but I just bought mine from a restaurant supply store. Amazon has them, too.

If you really want to take it to the next level, try making homemade ricotta

This recipe is seriously a game changer. I haven't bought ricotta from the store since I discovered this recipe.

Nice thread. I love cannoli.

These were a big hit at Thanksgiving!

My mother was so excited, she was taking pictures of me filling the shells and posting it online.

Put some maraschinno cherries in the ricotta too, makes it even better.