SICILIAN PISTACHIO CANNOLI
Sicilian cannoli are my passion — maybe it’s the little bit of Sicilian blood running in my veins or perhaps simply because they are truly too good!
They win you over at the first bite with their crisp shell that encloses an extremely soft ricotta cream, traditionally enriched with chocolate chips, candied fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Today, however, I propose a delicious variation that uses a ricotta cream enriched with pistachio paste.
To prepare these cannoli you can use ready-made cannoli shells now available in well-stocked supermarkets or you can make them yourself.
Serve them during the holiday season — you’ll see they’ll be a hit with all your guests.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 cannoli
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour (Farina 00)
- 1 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Lard
- 1 tbsp Marsala wine
- 1 Egg white
- 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 cups Sheep's ricotta
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Pistachio paste
- as needed Pistachio crumbs
- as needed Vanilla powdered sugar (for decoration)
Preparation
You can either knead by hand or use a stand mixer. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Add the lard and the Marsala to the flour mixture and continue kneading until well combined, obtaining a smooth, homogeneous dough. You may need to add a little water to reach the right consistency. Once the dough is no longer too soft but still firm, form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. After resting, roll it out not too thinly (you can use a pasta machine such as the “Nonna Papera”, finishing with a thickness similar to that of tagliatelle). When you reach the desired thickness, cut out discs about 4 in in diameter. (you can help yourself with a round cutter). Wrap the discs around oiled cannoli tubes, joining the edges by brushing them with beaten egg white. Fry in plenty of hot oil. As soon as the pastry reaches a deep golden-brown color, remove and let cool on kitchen paper towels.
If the ricotta is very wet (as it often is), let it drain so most of the whey is removed. Thoroughly combine the ricotta with the powdered sugar and the pistachio paste, working it by hand with a pastry whisk. Once ready, assemble the cannoli. Put the ricotta cream into a pastry bag and fill the cannoli shells. Finish both ends with pistachio crumbs. Dust with powdered sugar and serve!
Notes
It is recommended to fill the cannoli just before serving to prevent the shells from becoming soft in contact with the ricotta.
