Gails Cannolis 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.

HOMEMADE CANNOLI

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sift together the flour, granulated sugar and salt into a medium bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture becomes coarse and sandy. Add the egg yolk and wine and mix with a wooden spoon to make 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 into a disk. Let rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Make the filling: Whisk the ricotta in a medium bowl until smooth. Sift in the confectioners¿ sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Whisk to blend.in a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with a whisk until fairly stuff then gently fold into the ricotta mixture using a rubber spatula. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Zest the lemon and fold it into the ricotta. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour while you make the shells.
• Make the shells: Fill a large Dutch oven with 2 inches of canola oil; heat to 360 degrees F. meanwhile, sift an even layer of flour onto a flat surface. Dust the dough with flour and roll out slightly. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out until about 1/8 inch thick. With a paring knife, cut out 3- to 4-inch rounds using a small bowl as a guide. You should have about 24 rounds total. Wrap each round of dough around a cannoli mold, brushing with a little beaten egg to seal the seam and ensure the dough won¿t slide off the mild. Flare out the edges of the dough slightly (this lets the oil penetrate each shell as it fries). Working in small batches, hold one end of each mold and carefully add to hot oil. Fry the shells until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shells from the oil using tongs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let cool slightly. Using a kitchen towel, grip the mold in one hand and hold the shell in the other. Twist the shell slightly to pull it off the mold; set aside to cool. Repeat to make more shells.
• Fill the cannoli: Using a spatula, transfer the refrigerated filling to a pastry bag and snip the corner. Just before serving, pipe the filling into the shells from both sides so it runs through the whole shell. Dust the cannoli with confectioners' sugar.

SEAFOOD CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Cook shallot, carrot, celery, reserved shrimp shells, and reserved scallop muscles in 3 tablespoons butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Add water, seafood glaze (if using), and parsley sprigs and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
• Discard parsley and purée stock, including shrimp shells, in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in cleaned saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook roux over low heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Add warm seafood stock all at once, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Add 1/2 cup cream and gently simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water to cool for filling.
• Make seafood filling:
• Cut one third of shrimp and one third of scallops into 1/4-inch pieces and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Purée remaining shrimp and scallops in a food processor with Cognac, cooled 1/2 cup sauce, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining 1/2 cup cream and pulse just until combined. Transfer mousse to a large bowl and stir in shrimp and scallop pieces and chives.
• Cook pasta and assemble cannelloni:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Boil lasagne noodles a few at a time in a large pot of boiling salted water , stirring to separate, until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh noodles or about 6 minutes for no-boil. Gently transfer noodles with tongs and a slotted spatula to a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking, then lift out, shaking off water, and lay flat on dry kitchen towels (not terry cloth). Spread 1/3 cup mousse over each noodle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on both short ends. Starting with a short end, loosely roll up each noodle.
• Spread about 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of casserole dish and arrange cannelloni, seam sides down, snugly in 1 layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over cannelloni and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until sauce is bubbling and filling is just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. (To test filling for doneness, insert a metal skewer into a cannelloni and hold it there 5 seconds. Remove skewer and press it against your bottom lip: If metal is warm, casserole is hot all the way through and filling is cooked.)
• Preheat broiler.
• Remove foil and broil cannelloni about 3 inches from heat until brown spots appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods shops, and More Than Gourmet (800-860-9395).

CANNOLI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix with a fork until the dough becomes stiff, then finish it by hand, kneading on a clean surface. Add a bit more water if needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide the cannoli dough into thirds, and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. Dust lightly with flour if necessary. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or large glass or bowl, cut out 4 to 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll dough around cannoli tubes, sealing the edge with a bit of egg white.
• Heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy skillet. Fry shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove using the tongs, and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes, then carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a tea towel may help you get a better grip. Wash or wipe off the tubes, and use them for more shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hours before serving.
• To make the filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners' sugar using a spoon. Fold in lemon zest and chocolate. Use a pastry bag to pipe into shells, filling from the center to one end, then doing the same from the other side. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar and grated chocolate for garnish when serving.

THE EASIEST CANNOLI

Steps:

• Mix cheese, sugar, cinnamon and chips together well and stuff into cannoli shells. You can dip one end of the finished cannoli in the melted chocolate and roll in chopped nuts if you like.

GAIL'S SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine all items in crockpot and cook on low until done.
• Crockpot cooking times vary widely, with mine it takes 6-7 hours.
• I put the chicken breast in whole, and cube it after it is cooked as I hate working with raw meat.
• If you cube your chicken prior to cooking it will cook faster.