Cannoli Three Ways Food

CANNOLI

Steps:

• To make shells, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in butter.
• Add egg yolks; stir with a fork.
• Stir in wine, 1 tablespooon at a time, with a fork until dough clings together.
• Form a ball with the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface.
• Using the rim of a margarita glass (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough.
• Using a paring knife, make sure circles are cut all the way through.
• Roll each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube, overlaping the ends and press to seal, flaring out the edges slightly.
• Fry one or two at a time in hot melted shortening (about 360°F) for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides.
• Remove from hot grease and drain on paper towels, seam side down.
• Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
• To remove the tube hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end.
• Leave cannoil shells on paper towel, seam side down to cool completely.
• ~NOTE~Shells can be stored in airtight containers and made several days prior to filling.
• For filling, drain ricotta cheese over cheesecloth if ricotta is watery.
• Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
• Squeeze Maraschino cherries with paper towels to remove all liquid.
• (If you don't squeeze them good, you will have a pink water filling!).
• Stir in cherries and chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture, being careful not to over mix.
• For a lighter filling, you may whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to form stiff peaks, and fold into filling mixture at this step.
• Chill filling for about 30 minutes before piping into cooled cannoli shells.
• You may garnish the cannoli by sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
• Whipped cream, a cherry, and shaved chocolate can also be used to garnish the top.
• Keep refrigerated until time of serving.

TRADITIONAL SICILIAN CANNOLI

Steps:

• SHELLS: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
• Add butter and marsala.
• Knead dough on lightly floured surface until well mixed.
• Wrap dough in Saran wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Roll out dough very thin.
• Cut dough into rounds using a 4 inch cookie cutter.
• Roll each round again until very thin.
• Roll each round around a cannoli tube, tightly, and seal with egg white.
• Fry in hot oil, turning, until golden.
• Drain on paper towels and let cool.
• Gently twist cannoli tube to remove shell.
• Cool COMPLETELY.
• FILLING: Mix together (by hand with wooden spoon) ALL filling ingredients.
• Keep covered in the refrigerator until your shells are cooled and ready to fill.
• Fill pastry bag with filling.
• Use a plain or open star tip.
• Insert tip to center of shell and fill to one end and then repeat this step on the other end.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar.

WORLD'S BEST CANNOLI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar (set the other 1/2 cup aside), and cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
• Dice the slivered almonds, cutting them in half, and stir them into the mix along with the chocolate chips.
• Add Bailey's Irish Cream (optional). Otherwise, you can use 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or almond extract. DON'T USE BOTH!
• In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream together with 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
• Fold whipping cream into ricotta cheese mixture.
• Set 6 of the maraschino cherries aside. Take the rest of them and remove the stems, dice them into 1/4's, and place them on a paper towel. Pat the diced cherries until they are dry (otherwise you will get a pink filling from the juices), and then stir them GENTLY into the mix (again, you don't want pink filling).
• Place the mixture into a pastry bag with a large opening, or you can use a large Ziploc baggie and cut off about 1/2" at the corner (that way you can just throw it out when you're done - fewer cleanups is always better!).
• Arrange the cannoli shells on a serving tray. Fill each Canolli half way from each end, and then take a Maraschino cherry and place it at one of the ends.
• OPTIONAL: Place tray of cannolis in fridge for about 1/2 hour to allow the filling to thicken.
• TO SERVE: Take 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and sift it over the entire tray of cannolis, trying to get it mainly on the center portion of the shells. Then take the Hershey's Syrup and lightly drizzle chocolate over the entire plate of cannolis.
• Buon Appetito!