Cannoli is a popular Italian dessert that originated in Sicily. The dessert consists of a crispy pastry shell that is filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and often topped with powdered sugar or chocolate chips. The name “cannoli” is plural, while “cannolo” is singular in Italian, but in English, they are almost always referred to as cannoli.
Cannoli were originally created as a treat during Carnevale, which is the Italian equivalent of Mardi Gras. They were possibly created as a bawdy fertility symbol, and the phallic shape of cannoli was whimsically exaggerated by making extra jumbo-sized ones, called cannolone or cannoli giganteschi. Even today, gigantic cannoli are sold during Carnevale in homage to their salacious past.
The dessert’s roots can be traced back to Saracen times. The Arabs ruled Sicily for most of the 10th and 11th centuries and introduced sugar and many almond-based sweets to the island. The Saracens left a lasting culinary legacy that includes not only cannoli but also cassata cake, marzipan, and torrone.
Cannoli spread from Palermo and Messina throughout Sicily and then throughout Italy. The dessert came to the USA with the great Sicilian migration in the 1880s and inspired one of the most memorable Hollywood film quotes of all time: “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli” (The Godfather, 1972).
Today, cannoli are enjoyed year-round and come in many variations. The size and fillings vary in different parts of Sicily. Most notably, there are the ones with a creamy dark chocolate ricotta filling created by the pastry chefs of Messina. Cannoli are decorated in many ways, with chopped pistachios, candied orange peel, candied
Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (diced into small pieces)
- ⅓ cup Marsala wine (then more as needed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 8 cups shortening (or vegetable oil, for frying)
- 32 ounces whole milk ricotta (strained)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- unsalted pistachios, chopped (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Marsala wine, egg, and egg white. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the shortening or vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F.
- Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out circles of dough. Wrap each circle around a cannoli tube and seal the edges with egg white.
- Fry the cannoli shells in the hot oil until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to remove the shells from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Use a pastry bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the filling into the cooled cannoli shells. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the ends of the cannoli, if desired.
Conclusion
Cannoli is a classic Italian dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With this recipe, you can make perfectly crisp and flaky shells filled with a rich and creamy, deliciously sweet ricotta filling. Whether you’re making them for a special occasion or just because, these cannoli are sure to impress. Enjoy!