An easy recipe for homemade Cannoli that will help you make the best fresh incredibly delicious Cannolis. Everything is made from scratch in these including the ricotta cheese but don’t be intimidated they’re easy to make and well worth the effort. These are made with simple ingredients and if you don’t have the cannoli forms don’t let that stop you. They can be made easily with heavy duty aluminum foil or one of those disposable aluminum pans, jut cut to size and roll into tubes.
Ingredients
Makes 10-12 large Cannoli od 20-24 mini cannoli
Shells
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1 egg yolk (reserve the white for sealing the shells)
2 tbs well chilled butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine (if you have trouble getting your dough to come together add more wine or vinegar, do not add water)
Filling
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (well strained)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup powdered sugar
some chocolate chips
Decorating
Some chocolate chips or sprinkles
A little powdered sugar
Start by mixing dry ingredients for the shells in a bowl, add butter and break it up with a fork creating a flaky mixture, make a well in the center and add egg yolk, mix the egg yolk in, add vinegar, mix everything well then knead until dough comes together. It wiil be dry if you have difficulty bring it together add a bit more vinegar until it comes together. Do not add water. Roll into a ball, flatten, wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge. Next make your filling. Add your heavy cream to a bowl and whisk until thickened. In another bowl add your well strained ricotta, break it up, add almond extract, mix that in and add powdered sugar. Mix well. Use a mixer and whip a bit until creamy. Take ricotta mixture and add into heavy cream. Add chocolate chips, grate orange zest on top, fold ingredients together cover and chill in fridge. Take dough and roll into a large square on a flat surface. Cut into evenly sized squares. Place cannoli form in center of square diagonally so you have points on the ends bring one point to the center brush with lightly beaten egg white (TIP: just use the egg white they seal far better, these will not open upon cooking) Press the other pointed end over and seal shut. Preheat oil in pan add cannoli shells a few at a time turning and frying until golden brown, remove and let drain on a wire rack with a pan under it. Next assemble cannoli once shells are cooled. Place cream in a bag, first fill one end of cannoli starting in the middle and bringing outwards, flip it and fill the other side. Place on a dish. Once filled dip ends in chocolate chips, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. These keep well in the fridge. The shells come out beautifully maintaining their crispiness and seal well using the egg white only. Serve and enjoy!