INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

* Note: It's important to use rennet-based ricotta, not acid or
vinegar based ricotta. The Times Test Kitchen tried to make the
cannoli filling with acid based ricotta and found it didn't thicken
well enough to stay in the shells.
CANNOLI SHELLS: Sift together flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cocoa
powder and pinch of salt. Sift again. Cut butter into flour mixture
until mixture is consistency of corn meal. Cut in beaten egg. Add
white wine slowly, until dough ball forms. Knead dough just enough to
achieve elastic consistency. Over-kneading will cause cannoli pastry
to become tough. Wrap dough in floured cloth and let it rest 15
minutes. Pour oil into 6-quart pot over medium heat and slowly heat
it to 350 degrees. (Test with thermometer or by dropping in small
square of bread that should brown quickly but not burn.) After dough
has rested and while oil is heating, divide dough into quarters.
Working with 1 quarter at a time and leaving rest covered, roll out
dough on lightly floured surface until 1/16-inch thick. Cut into
4-inch circles with cookie cutter as closely together as possible.
With rolling pin, shape these circles into ovals slightly shorter
than cannoli forms. Wrap each oval securely around a cannoli form,
overlapping it in center. Moisten edge with a little egg white and
press seams together to seal. Be certain not to "glue" dough to
cannoli form with egg white. (Whites should touch dough, not cannoli
form.) Flare edges of dough to create traditional cannoli shape. Drop
several shells into heated oil. Fry until shells are rich brown all
around, 2 to 3 minutes. If using stainless steel forms, gently turn
cannoli with wooden spoon for even browning during frying (cannoli
made with lighter bamboo forms tend to rise to surface and turn on
their own). To remove cooked shells from oil, slip tine of carving
fork inside form and carefully lift from oil. Hold it over oil to
drain. Exercise extreme caution to prevent burns. Gently roll shells
on brown paper to absorb excess grease. When they are cool enough to
handle, gently hold shell in 1 hand while grasping cannoli form with
fingers of other hand and remove with slight twist. Repeat rolling
and frying process until all dough and scraps have been made into
shells. RICOTTA-CREAM FILLING: Pass ricotta through largest-holed
screen of food mill to break up curds. (Do not use electric mixer; it
will destroy the curds.) Stir in sugar with wooden spoon. Mix in
liqueur and vanilla, then fold in mixed candied fruits and chocolate
chips. Cover and refrigerate until needed. ASSEMBLY: Generously fill
shells using pastry bag or spoon. Fill them from 1 end, and then from
opposite end. Decorate ends with candied orange peel and halved or
whole candied cherries. Dust each cannoli with powdered sugar and
serve. Yields 24 cannoli.
Each cannoli: 180 calories; 60 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 7 grams
fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.04 gram fiber
Comments: The word "cannola" comes from the Sicilian word for cane or
bamboo, " 'a canna," which was the material from which cannoli-shell
forms were originally made. Nowadays, these forms are made of tin or
stainless steel and are easily found in cookware stores. Bamboo ones,
however, are easy to make and produce a flakier, puffier pastry
shell. To make them, cut dried bamboo poles with a fine-toothed saw
into 6-inch lengths about 1 inch in diameter, with no rings or taper.
Store them in a well-ventilated container for years of use. Whether
using store-bought or homemade forms, it is best to have at least 8
of them on hand to make the shells efficiently. Cannoli shells may be
made up to two days before needed, loosely covered with waxed paper
and stored in a dry place. Do not refrigerate. Fill cannoli just
before serving, as the ricotta cream tends to make the shells soft
and rubbery. Refrigerating filled cannoli, even for very few minutes,
will accelerate this condition.
Recipe Source: Los Angeles Times - 12-02-1998

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