Homemade Cannoli Recipes

Steps:

• Place a piece of cheesecloth in a strainer and hang it over a bowl. Add the ricotta to the strainer and cover it with a bit more cheesecloth. Place a small plate over the top of the ricotta and weigh it down with a large can of tomatoes or anything heavy. Let it strain in the fridge overnight.
• In a large bowl, add the strained ricotta, powdered sugar, candied orange peel and vanilla. Stir everything so it's all well mixed.
• Add the filling to a large piping bag fitted with a large tip. Pipe the filling into the cannoli shells and dip each end in the mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle over some powdered sugar. Serve right away for best-tasting cannolis.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sift together the flour, granulated sugar and salt into a medium bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture becomes coarse and sandy. Add the egg yolk and wine and mix with a wooden spoon to make a smooth dough. Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place the dough in the center. Wrap the plastic loosely around it and press the dough into a disk. Let rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Make the filling: Whisk the ricotta in a medium bowl until smooth. Sift in the confectioners¿ sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Whisk to blend.in a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with a whisk until fairly stuff then gently fold into the ricotta mixture using a rubber spatula. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Zest the lemon and fold it into the ricotta. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour while you make the shells.
• Make the shells: Fill a large Dutch oven with 2 inches of canola oil; heat to 360 degrees F. meanwhile, sift an even layer of flour onto a flat surface. Dust the dough with flour and roll out slightly. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out until about 1/8 inch thick. With a paring knife, cut out 3- to 4-inch rounds using a small bowl as a guide. You should have about 24 rounds total. Wrap each round of dough around a cannoli mold, brushing with a little beaten egg to seal the seam and ensure the dough won¿t slide off the mild. Flare out the edges of the dough slightly (this lets the oil penetrate each shell as it fries). Working in small batches, hold one end of each mold and carefully add to hot oil. Fry the shells until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shells from the oil using tongs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly. Using a kitchen towel, grip the mold in one hand and hold the shell in the other. Twist the shell slightly to pull it off the mold; set aside to cool. Repeat to make more shells.
• Fill the cannoli: Using a spatula, transfer the refrigerated filling to a pastry bag and snip the corner. Just before serving, pipe the filling into the shells from both sides so it runs through the whole shell. Dust the cannoli with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• For the cannoli shells: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until thoroughly combined. Add the egg yolk and Marsala and process until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Fill a large, wide pot with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a thin circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many circles as possible with a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, then gather the scraps, reroll, and cut out more (discard any remaining scraps).
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Wrap a circle of dough around a cannoli tube. Lightly moisten an edge with water and press the edges together very firmly to seal (if not well-sealed, the cannoli shells will open while frying). Repeat with as many cannoli tubes as you have. Fry the tubes with the dough, turning once, until the shells are golden brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the tubes from the oil and slip off the cannoli shells onto the paper towels. Let the tubes cool slightly, then repeat until all of the dough is fried, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the oil at 350 degrees F. Cool the shells completely.
• For the filling: Mix the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, orange zest and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the chocolate.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip with the ricotta mixture. Hold a cannoli shell in one hand; with the other, insert the pastry tip into the center of the shell and pipe out the filling. Turn the shell around and fill the other side. Repeat with the remaining shells and filling. Arrange on a platter and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve filled shells immediately; alternatively, store unfilled shells in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days and fill when ready to serve.

Steps:

• Mix together flour, shortening, salt and sugar.
• Add enough wine to make a stiff but workable dough.
• Roll dough into a ball and let it stand for about 1 hour.
• Roll dough out 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut rolled dough into 5x5 inch squares.
• Place a cannoli tube across dough square on an angle (from top left corner to bottom right corner).
• Wrap one corner around the tube, then the other (which should overlap the first).
• Press together to seal seam.
• Fry in deep fat, one at a time, until deep golden brown.
• Carefully remove fried cannoli shell from tube.
• Cool completely before filling.
• ***Cannoli tubes are usually made from sheet aluminum and should be 8 inches long by 1 inch in diameter.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix with a fork until the dough becomes stiff, then finish it by hand, kneading on a clean surface. Add a bit more water if needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide the cannoli dough into thirds, and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. Dust lightly with flour if necessary. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or large glass or bowl, cut out 4 to 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll dough around cannoli tubes, sealing the edge with a bit of egg white.
• Heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy skillet. Fry shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove using the tongs, and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes, then carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a tea towel may help you get a better grip. Wash or wipe off the tubes, and use them for more shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hours before serving.
• To make the filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners' sugar using a spoon. Fold in lemon zest and chocolate. Use a pastry bag to pipe into shells, filling from the center to one end, then doing the same from the other side. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar and grated chocolate for garnish when serving.

Steps:

• To make shells, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in butter.
• Add egg yolks; stir with a fork.
• Stir in wine, 1 tablespooon at a time, with a fork until dough clings together.
• Form a ball with the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface.
• Using the rim of a margarita glass (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough.
• Using a paring knife, make sure circles are cut all the way through.
• Roll each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube, overlaping the ends and press to seal, flaring out the edges slightly.
• Fry one or two at a time in hot melted shortening (about 360°F) for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides.
• Remove from hot grease and drain on paper towels, seam side down.
• Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
• To remove the tube hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end.
• Leave cannoil shells on paper towel, seam side down to cool completely.
• ~NOTE~Shells can be stored in airtight containers and made several days prior to filling.
• For filling, drain ricotta cheese over cheesecloth if ricotta is watery.
• Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
• Squeeze Maraschino cherries with paper towels to remove all liquid.
• (If you don't squeeze them good, you will have a pink water filling!).
• Stir in cherries and chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture, being careful not to over mix.
• For a lighter filling, you may whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to form stiff peaks, and fold into filling mixture at this step.
• Chill filling for about 30 minutes before piping into cooled cannoli shells.
• You may garnish the cannoli by sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
• Whipped cream, a cherry, and shaved chocolate can also be used to garnish the top.
• Keep refrigerated until time of serving.

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• Mix cheese, sugar, cinnamon and chips together well and stuff into cannoli shells. You can dip one end of the finished cannoli in the melted chocolate and roll in chopped nuts if you like.

Steps:

• Tip the flour, sugar, bicarb, cinnamon and cocoa (if using) into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until there are no more lumps. Mix the egg yolk and marsala and add this to the bowl, then mix the whole lot together and knead to a smooth dough. Wrap and rest in the fridge. (Can be made ahead and fried the next day.)
• Fill a deep-fat fryer, wok or deep saucepan a third of the way up with oil. Cut the dough into pieces and, working one piece at a time, roll them out as thinly as you can - use a pasta machine if you have one. Heat the oil and keep an eye on it until it reaches 180C. Lay the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut out circles about 11cm across. Wrap each one around a cannoli mould, using some of the egg white to stick the top edge down and they're ready for frying.It's important to take care when cooking with hot oil. Read our guide on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen.
• Deep-fry the cannoli (with their moulds) one at a time, making sure they cook all over. They should take about 45-60 seconds in all and should be visibly golden brown (keep cooking a little longer if they aren't) and the dough will bubble and blister. Carefully take each one out of the oil using the tongs and shake the cannoli off the mould very carefully onto kitchen paper. As you fry each one, make sure the oil stays at 180C at all times and doesn't get any hotter. These will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
• When the cannoli are cold, dip the end of each one into chocolate, then dip some of those into the pistachios. Leave to cool and harden. Beat the ricotta and mascarpone together, then stir in the candied peel and sugar. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a wide star nozzle and pipe it into the cannoli. Serve soon after filling.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar (set the other 1/2 cup aside), and cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
• Dice the slivered almonds, cutting them in half, and stir them into the mix along with the chocolate chips.
• Add Bailey's Irish Cream (optional). Otherwise, you can use 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or almond extract. DON'T USE BOTH!
• In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream together with 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
• Fold whipping cream into ricotta cheese mixture.
• Set 6 of the maraschino cherries aside. Take the rest of them and remove the stems, dice them into 1/4's, and place them on a paper towel. Pat the diced cherries until they are dry (otherwise you will get a pink filling from the juices), and then stir them GENTLY into the mix (again, you don't want pink filling).
• Place the mixture into a pastry bag with a large opening, or you can use a large Ziploc baggie and cut off about 1/2" at the corner (that way you can just throw it out when you're done - fewer cleanups is always better!).
• Arrange the cannoli shells on a serving tray. Fill each Canolli half way from each end, and then take a Maraschino cherry and place it at one of the ends.
• OPTIONAL: Place tray of cannolis in fridge for about 1/2 hour to allow the filling to thicken.
• TO SERVE: Take 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and sift it over the entire tray of cannolis, trying to get it mainly on the center portion of the shells. Then take the Hershey's Syrup and lightly drizzle chocolate over the entire plate of cannolis.
• Buon Appetito!