Cannoili Italiano Recipe

How to make it

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• Shells
• Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Cut shortening in with a pastry blender until the pieces are the size of small peas.
• Stir in eggs. Blend in the vinegar and cold water.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Add additional flour, if needed, to get a smooth dough.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Set out 6 aluminum cannoli tubes.
• Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 360 degrees F.
• Cut an oval shaped pattern from cardboard about 6x4-inches.
• Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Place the cardboard pattern on dough and cut out as many as will fit on the dough.
• Wrap dough loosely around tubes slightly overlapping opposite ends.
• Seal ends by brushing with egg white and pressing together.
• Fry only as many shells as will float uncrowded in the hot oil.
• Fry until light golden brown, 3-4 minutes.
• Remove cannoli shells to paper towels to drain.
• Cool slightly and remove the tubes. Cool shells completely.
• Continue forming and frying cannoli shells.
• Using a pastry bag or a small spoon, fill the shells with the filling from both ends.
• Do not fill the shells until up to an hour before serving, as the filling will make the shells soggy.
• Sprinkle ends with reserved chopped pistachio nuts and dust with confectioners sugar.
• Traditional filling
• 4-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or candied fruit
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts,coarsely chopped
• Confectioners sugar for dusting
• Pistachio filling
• Combine ricotta, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• Stir in chocolate chips or candied fruit.
• After filling the cannoli shells, dip the ends in chopped pistachios.
• Dust the top of the cannolis with confectioners' sugar.
• Fill a small saucepan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Put the pistachios in the water for 1 minute.
• Drain and rinse with cold water. Remove the skins from the nuts.
• Put the pistachios in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Process to a powder.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar.
• Add the pistachio mixture and blend well.
• Put the milk and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
• Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the bowl with the pistachio mixture. Stir to blend.
• Add the remaining hot milk and blend well.
• Transfer the entire mixture back to the saucepan over medium heat.
• In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 of water with the cornstarch until smooth.
• Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and stir until thickened.
• Add the vanilla and stir until completely blended.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the filling.
• Refrigerate until cold.