Cannoli Recipe (How to Make Cannoli Filling & Shells)

Step 1

To prepare the pastry: Sift the flour, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using your hand, rub in the butter until you have a coarse mixture. Mix in the egg and Marsala wine. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until you have a smooth dough. (If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time and continue to knead until you are able to form a smooth ball.) Place the dough back in the bowl and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Step 2

For the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the grated chocolate, ricotta cheese, confectioners' sugar and the candied fruit. Mix with a hand mixer or fork until all is well combined. Set aside for now.

Step 3

Take the pastry dough out of the fridge. On a clean, lightly-floured work surface, roll the pastry dough out until very thin (like 1/8' thin). Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut the dough into rounds. You should have between 18 and 24 rounds.

Step 4

Dust 6 cannoli molds with flour and wrap each pastry circle loosely around a cannoli mold. Dampen the edges of the dough with the egg wash and press to seal the edges shut in the middle (make sure you press hard enough using a little of the egg wash so that the dough will not open when it's fried).

Step 5

Fill a small cooking pot with oil about 1/3 of the way. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Deep fry until the cannoli pastry shells turn golden and crisp (this will be quick). Using tongs or a large slotted spoon, remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towel. When pastry shells are cool enough to handle, twist the cannoli forms to release the shells.

Step 6

Using the cannoli molds, repeat the process until you have fried all the cannoli.

Step 7

When the cannoli shells are cold, pipe or spoon the filling into them. Dust with a generous amount of confectioner's sugar and a bit of the grated dark chocolate. Enjoy!