Fresh ricotta cannoli recipe – the best Italian pastry treat

Ingredients

• 250g flour
• 25g butter, melted
• 25g castor sugar
• 5g cocoa
• 1 egg
• 70ml marsala
• 1 pinch of salt
• 750g ricotta
• 200g icing sugar
• 150g chocolate chips (optional)
• candied orange (optional)
• icing sugar to dust
• 2 litres vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and put the egg and melted butter!
2. Add the Marsala and work into a dough and knead until the dough is stiff.
3. Form the dough into a ball, and wrap in cling wrap and allow it to rest for half an hour.
4. Next cut the dough into two parts, then with a rolling pin, roll the dough almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface.
5. Using the rim of a small round plate (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough. Using a knife, carefully make sure circles are cut all the way through.
6. Pre heat the oil to 180°C.
7. Next wrap each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube, over-lapping the ends and press together to seal.
8. Fry one or two at a time in the hot oil for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides.
9. Remove from the oil and drain them on paper towels. Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
10. To remove the tube, hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end. Leave cannoli shells on paper towel, seam side down and cool completely.
11. For filling, drain ricotta cheese over a cloth, then combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat well until well combined and smooth.
12. (Optional) Next add the chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture, being careful not to over mix.
13. Chill filling for about 30 minutes before piping into cooled cannoli shells.
14. Garnish the cannoli by dipping one end in the candied orange (optional) and sprinkling powdered sugar on top.

Recipe Notes

Note: the shells can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Pro Tip Add some cream de cacao to your ricotta!

Recipe by

Chef Simonetta