Cannoli with ricotta
6 servings
90 minutes
Cannoli with ricotta is a true symbol of Sicily, embodying the richness of its culinary traditions. The origins of this dessert date back centuries when Arabs introduced sweet and spicy notes to Sicilian cuisine. The crispy tube, fried to a golden crust, hides a delicate cream of ricotta with vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest inside. This combination offers a rich, sweet flavor with a hint of citrus freshness. Decorated with cherries and candied oranges, cannoli become not just a treat but a work of art. They are traditionally served at holidays and family celebrations as this dessert symbolizes joy and hospitality. Light, airy, and truly exquisite, cannoli are a sweet reminder of sunny Sicily and its warmth and passion for food.
1
In a large bowl, mix flour, 50 grams of sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add chilled butter cut into small cubes and use your hands to turn the mixture into crumbs. Add wine and eggs and knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for six to eight minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and hide in the fridge for an hour.
- Wheat flour: 345 g
- Sugar: 200 g
- Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Butter: 80 g
- Red wine: 5 tablespoon
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
2
Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll each through a pasta machine until the thickness reaches 1 mm. Use a cutter with a diameter of 10 cm to cut out circles of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Wrap each circle around metal cannoli tubes that are 2.5 cm in diameter and 10 cm long, secure the edges on top, and brush with beaten egg white (after separating it from the yolk).
- Egg white: 1 piece
3
Pour vegetable oil into a six-liter pot and heat to 180 degrees. Dip several cannoli into the oil and fry until a bright brown color appears, for one to two minutes. Fry all the remaining cannoli in the same way, transferring them to a rack. Remove the tubes from the cooled cannoli.
- Vegetable oil: to taste
4
Prepare lemon zest. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, remaining sugar (150 g), vanilla, cinnamon, and zest until smooth cream. Fill a piping bag with the cream and fill the tubes. Decorate the edges with halved cherries and candied oranges.
- Sugar: 200 g
- Ricotta cheese: 450 g
- Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons
- Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Orange zest: 1 teaspoon
- Dried cherries: to taste