AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Cannolis - Sicilian style: The only tool you'll need that isn't normally found in the kitchen is the tube or form needed to form the cannolis themselves.  It's been about 13 years since I was last in the U.S. but, if I'm not mistaken, you can find these in just about any large department store or specialty shop.  They can be metal or sometimes made of bamboo.  The size should be about4 or five inches long by an inch in diameter.

 Ingredients for around 12 cannolis:

(In Italian, the word cannolis doesn't exist - singular = cannolo and plural = cannoli: so one cannolo or two cannoli.) End of Italian lesson!

 

4 ounces + 1 tablespoon - all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon - butter

1 1/2 tablespoon - sugar

2 2/3 tablespoon - Marsala wine

Vegetable oil for frying

How to do it:

put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened.  Start kneading the mixture by hand until a uniform dough starts to form.  Remove from the bowl and gently kneed on a very lightly floured surface until the dough is well mixed and smooth.

Return the dough to its bowl and cover it while letting it rest.

Ingredients for the filling:

1 pound ricotta cheese

Note: Let your ricotta drain in a sieve for a couple of hours. American ricotta has a tendency to be a little watery; this will help.

5 ounces confectioner's

2 ounces candied fruit cut into tiny pieces (this is optional)

3 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips - lightly chopped

one egg white - lightly beaten
 

How to do the filling:

Reduce the ricotta to a cream by forcing it through a sieve or just beating it with a wooden spoon. (believe me, the sieve is easier.)

Mix well together the ricotta, candied fruit, confectioner's sugar, and chocolate chips.

Put it in the fridge while you make the shells.

Now comes the most difficult part.

Get your dough ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface.

Roll out the dough just like you would for a pie crust, turning it over and adding a sprinkle of flour when necessary to keep it from sticking to the work surface.

Roll it out to a thin sheet. (1/8 to 1/16 inch thick)

with a sharp knife or pizza cutting wheel, cut the dough sheet into 12 - "4 inch" squares.

wrap a dough square around one of the tubes, corner to corner. Before overlapping the corners brush one corner with egg white then place the other corner over it. The egg white will act as glue.

Fry three or four at a time (with the tube still in place) until they are crispy and a golden brown color. After they have cooled a bit, remove the tubes by gently twisting and pulling them free..

And Finally

Take a small spoon, knife or pastry tube and fill the cannoli shells. I find it easier to fill half at a time, working from both ends.  Let them cool in the fridge for an hour or so, then sprinkle a little confectioner's sugar on them if you wish.  Buon appetito!!!