Serves: 16
Total Calories: 1,033
1 Prepare the cream, if necessary.
2 Prepare the shells: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
3 Cut the dough into four pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or secondhighest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through. (The dough can be rolled on a board with a rolling pin, but be sure to roll it very thin.) Cut the strip of dough into pieces about 1 inch shorter than your cannoli tubes.
4 Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.
5 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes. Place a cannoli tube crosswise from corner to corner on top of one piece of dough. Fold the two remaining corners of the dough around the tube, being careful not to stretch or pull it. Dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press to seal. Set aside.
6 In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 370°F on a frying thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray lined with paper towels.
7 Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.
8 With tongs grasp a cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels.
9 Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.
10 To assemble the cannoli: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip, or a heavy-duty plastic storage bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a plastic bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side.
11 Sprinkle the ends with pistachios, or press a candied cherry into the cream. Serve within 3 hours.
From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This Cannoli recipe is from the Cook'n in Italy Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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