Sicilian Cannoli

About This Recipe

Cannoli are one of Sicily's most celebrated exports, a pastry born in the Palermo carnival tradition and now beloved worldwide. The name means 'little tubes' in Sicilian, referring to the crisp fried shells formed around metal tubes. The filling is almost as important as the shell: freshly made, lightly sweetened sheep's milk ricotta, drained until dry and smooth, mixed with sugar and enriched with chocolate chips, candied peel or pistachios. The cardinal rule of cannoli is that the shells must be filled at the very last moment — a filled cannolo left to sit quickly becomes soggy, losing the textural contrast that makes it so compelling.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 250 gplain flour
• 30 gcaster sugar
• 1 teaspooncocoa powder
• 1 pinchfine sea salt
• 40 gcold unsalted butter(cut into small pieces)
• 60 mldry Marsala wine(or dry white wine)
• 1egg(beaten, for sealing)
• 1 litrevegetable oil(for deep frying)
• 500 gfresh ricotta cheese(drained overnight in a sieve)
• 150 gicing sugar(sifted)
• 80 gdark chocolate chips
• 60 gcandied orange peel(finely diced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the shell dough

   Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the Marsala and mix to a smooth, pliable dough. Knead for 5 minutes until elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Roll and cut the shells

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out very thinly, to about 2 mm. Cut into circles of approximately 10 cm in diameter using a round cutter. Wrap each circle around a cannoli tube, sealing the overlapping edge with a dab of beaten egg.

   Metal cannoli tubes are essential — the shells need to hold their cylindrical shape in the hot oil.

3. 3

   Fry the shells

   Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 180°C. Fry the cannoli on their tubes in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and blistered, about 3–4 minutes. Remove with tongs onto kitchen paper to drain. When cool enough to handle, slide the shells carefully off the tubes.

4. 4

   Make the filling

   Beat the drained ricotta with the icing sugar until very smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and candied orange peel. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a wide plain nozzle. Refrigerate until needed.

5. 5

   Fill and serve immediately

   Fill the cooled shells just before serving. Pipe the ricotta cream from both ends, meeting in the middle. Dust with icing sugar and serve at once.

Variations

• •

  Pistachio cannoli: replace chocolate chips with chopped pistachios and add a few drops of almond extract to the filling.

• •

  Mini cannoli: use smaller cutters (6 cm) for bite-sized versions, perfect for parties.

• •

  Chocolate dipped ends: dip each end of the filled cannolo in melted dark chocolate for extra indulgence.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Fill only just before serving. Refrigerate filled cannoli and eat within 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions