Beyond cassata, cannoli, and the brioscia col tuppo, one of the quintessential Sicilian desserts, whether filled with custard or ricotta, is the cartoccio. A soft brioche dough cannoli. Making cartocci at home may seem complicated, but it’s actually very simple, just have a little patience in rolling the dough.
What are you waiting for to try them?
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3.5 tbsp lard
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh brewer's yeast
- sunflower seed oil (for frying)
- custard
- granulated sugar
Tools
- 12 Metal cylinders for cannoli
Steps
To prepare the cartocci, you can either use a stand mixer with a spiral hook or knead by hand. In any case, start by pouring flour into the bowl along with the sugar. Form a well and add the egg in the center. Mix and crumble the yeast over it. Add the lard and pour in the warm milk gradually while starting to knead. Add a pinch of salt and continue working the dough for 12-15 minutes, until it is soft and compact.
Form a dough ball, and let it rise in the bowl, covered with a cloth at a temperature of about 68°F until it doubles in volume. You can let it rise in the oven with just the light on, so the time needed will be about an hour.
Now roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/5 inch, then cut strips about 1.2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Take the cannoli tubes, steel or reed (as grandma used), then roll the dough forming 3 turns and tucking the ends under the rolled dough.
Let them rise again for an hour covered with a cloth.
After the time has passed, heat abundant oil in a pot, the cartocci should be immersed for at least half their volume. Once the oil reaches 320°F, you can start frying the cartocci. Two or three at a time, depending on the space. Remember that the cartocci will puff up further during cooking, so they need space inside the pot. Keep the oil temperature between 320°F/338°F; a higher temperature would cook the cartocci only on the outside, leaving the inside raw.
Once they are well golden on one side, turn them to the other, then let them turn completely golden and remove them, placing them on paper towels for a few seconds.
While they are still warm, gently remove the cannoli tube and roll the cartocci in granulated sugar, then set them aside to cool.
Once cooled, fill them with custard or ricotta cream.
For the custard, follow the recipe here.
