Classic Cannoncini Food

HOMEMADE CANNOLI

Steps:

• For the shell dough: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the butter pieces into the flour with your fingers until the mixture becomes coarse and sandy. Add the egg yolk and the white wine and mix until it becomes a smooth dough. Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place the dough in the center. Wrap the plastic loosely around it and press the dough to fill the gap. Flattening the dough will mean less rolling later. Let it rest in the fridge for a few minutes while you make the filling.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Mix to blend. In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat the heavy cream until fairly stiff. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Lightly zest the exterior of the lemon and stir it into the ricotta. Refrigerate for a half hour to an hour.
• To roll and fry the shells: In a medium pot with a heavy bottom, heat the canola oil to 360 degrees F. Meanwhile, sift an even layer of flour on a flat surface. Flour a rolling pin. Roll the dough until it is very thin (about 1/8-inch thick). Cut the dough into fourths and work in small batches. Use any glass or small bowl that has a 3-to-4-inch diameter. Cut rounds, tracing around each one to assure the dough has been fully cut. You should have about 24 circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli mold. Use a little of the egg wash on the edge of each round to seal it shut and to assure it won't slide or fall off the mold before pressing it closed over the mold. Flare the edges out slightly from the mold. Flaring will allow the oil to penetrate each cannoli shell as they fry. Use a pair of tongs to hold the edge of the mold as you submerge and fry the shell in the oil until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil, and holding the mold in one had with your tongs, gently grip the shell in your other hand with a kitchen towel and carefully slide it off the mold. Set aside to cool. Repeat with all of the circles.
• To fill the cannolis: Just before serving, use a pastry bag without a tip to pipe the ricotta into the cannoli molds. Fill the cannoli shells from both ends so the cream runs through the whole shell. Dust with powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives that little extra sweetness and added texture to the exterior. It also makes me feel like I have a professional bakery touch in my own home. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN CREAM STUFFED CANNONCINI (PUFF PASTRY HORNS)

Steps:

• Warm up the milk until hot (not boiling).
• In a medium sized pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla extract and flour, until light and fluffy.
• Add the milk some at a time while whisking, making sure there are no lumps.
• Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Lower the flame and cook for a couple of more minutes, until you reach the desire thickness.
• Pour the cream in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it cool down. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Sprinkle some sugar on the counter and on top of the puff pastry and roll it out to a rectangle about 9 by 12 inches.
• Cut into 12 stripes (about 1 inch thick). Easy way to do it: cut the pastry in three parts, and then each part into four strips.
• Roll each strip onto a horn mold (conical in shape). The pastry has to overlap (about half of the length).
• Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with seem (end of the strip) side down.
• Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water. Brush lightly each pastry cone with the egg wash.
• Make sure you keep the egg wash away from the mold. It will make it harder to remove the pastry horn from the mold once baked.
• Bake at 400°F (200 °C) for about 15-20 minutes until golden on top.
• Let them cool down for a couple of minutes and gently remove from the mold. If the pastry sticks to the mold, you can press in the mold a little (to make the circumference smaller) and very gently turn it inside the pastry until it comes off.
• Before serving, fill with the cream using a piping bag. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like, and enjoy!