Cannoli Recipe
by Ursula Ferrigno
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Easy
The literal meaning of cannoli is ‘small tube’ and the tiny pastry is also associated with Siciliana Carnevale as a fertility symbol. I’ve really tried my hardest with this recipe to deliver the ultimate cannoli and made many tweaks along the way. I’ve decided to make a larger number here, so you only fry once, and they will keep well in an airtight box. If they are not crisp enough, they can be popped in a hot oven for 10 minutes to get the desired crispiness. We all love cannoli so much and often have them for breakfast in Sicily. They can even be made as a sweet canapé for a party.
This recipe is extracted from Dolci Italiani by Ursula Ferrigno, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£22). Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small
Ingredients for the cannoli
- 250g Italian 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- 20g caster sugar
- large pinch of bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 30ml dry Marsala
- 1 egg white, to seal
- 1 litre sunflower oil
- icing sugar, for dusting
- 10½-cm/4-inch cookie cutter
- 28 cannoli moulds (Note: Cannoli moulds can easily be bought online. These can also be cooked in batches if you don’t have enough moulds.)
- piping bag
Ingredients for the cannoli filling
- 150ml double cream, whipped
- 300g strained ricotta
- 75g caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the optional decorations
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel
- 2 teaspoons mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Method for cannoli
- Mix all the dry ingredients together and add the butter and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and Marsala and mix well until smooth, adding a little more flour if the mixture is too wet. Leave the dough covered in the fridge for 1 hour while you make the filling.
- For the filling, whip the cream and add the strained ricotta, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and cinnamon.
- On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough to about 2mm/1⁄8 inch thin (this is very important to roll as thinly as you can), then use the cookie cutter to cut out 28 circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli mould, using the egg white to seal.
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. Working in batches, fry the dough wrapped around the cannoli moulds for 1 minute on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat for all of the cannolis.
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Spoon the filling into a piping bag and pipe into each cannoli. Press the chocolate chips, pistachios or candid peel to the ends of the mixture, if liked. Dust with icing sugar, dive in and enjoy. When they are filled, they become a little soggy so they should be eaten as quickly as possible (and certainly within 1–2 hours).
About the author
Ursula Ferrigno, a talented cook and food writer from Italy's Amalfi Coast, learned to cook from her grandmother. She writes for Taste Italia, American Gourmet, Olive, and BBC Good Food. Ursula also teaches baking, specializing in breads like ciabatta, focaccia, and stromboli.
