Cannoli

It's hard to find good cannolis even in New York City. It was David's request to make them. After a long search, David found this recipe from Claire Saffitz in New York Times Cooking. I included her YouTube video here. You need to watch the video to be able to understand how to make them correctly. After a successful first try, the second time was much easier.

Ingredients

Yield:8 cannoli

For the Shells

• 1cup/135 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

• 2tablespoons granulated sugar

• ½teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon Morton coarse kosher salt

• ½teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1ounce lard or refined coconut oil, chilled

• 1large egg

• ¼cup dry white wine

• 8cups neutral oil, such as peanut, for frying

For Filling and Assembly

• 16ounces/452 grams best-quality whole-milk ricotta, scraped into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drained in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours

• ½cup/55 grams confectioners’ sugar

• 2teaspoons honey

• 2teaspoons vanilla extract

• ½teaspoon finely grated orange zest

• ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice

• Generous pinch of kosher salt

• Finely chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings, and/or candied citrus peel, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

Prepare the shells: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the lard and use two knives or a pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture until the largest pieces are about the size of a pea. Use your fingertips to further work the lard into the flour until the bits are about the size of a lentil. Create a well, then set the bowl aside.

Step 2

In a small bowl, beat the egg thoroughly, then measure out 1 tablespoon and add to the well along with the wine. Cover the remaining beaten egg and place in the refrigerator for forming the shells later. Use a fork to work the liquid into the flour mixture until it’s absorbed, then switch to your hands and knead the dough inside the bowl until it comes together and no dry spots remain.

Step 3

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it, using the heel of your hand to push it away from you, then fold it back onto itself in a repetitive motion, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the dough feels elastic and is soft and supple, about 4 minutes. (The surface texture will still be a little rough.)

Step 4

Wrap the dough in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

Step 5

Prepare the filling: Remove the drained ricotta from the refrigerator and discard any liquid it has released. (The volume will vary depending on the ricotta you’re using.) Use a flexible spatula to press the ricotta through the sieve into a large bowl, then add the confectioners’ sugar, honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Whisk the mixture just until combined, then scrape the filling into a pastry bag or a large resealable plastic bag, working it into the point or a corner. Press out the air and twist the bag to seal, then transfer to the refrigerator.

Step 6

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap and divide in half. Form the pieces into spheres, then set aside one of the pieces and cover with the plastic. Place the other piece on a lightly floured work surface and dust with more flour. Roll it out, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, into a thin circle measuring about 10 inches across and ⅛-inch thick. Use a 4½-inch round cutter to punch out 3 circles. (If you don’t have a cutter, you can use a small saucer or container lid and trace around it with a wheel cutter.) Lift the circles and place beneath the plastic alongside the other piece of dough, then gather the scraps and set aside.

Step 7

Repeat the rolling process with the second piece of dough and punch 3 more circles. Keeping the circles covered, combine all the scraps and form into a ball. Roll out the scraps into an ⅛-inch-thick oval large enough to cut 2 additional circles, giving the dough a little more force since it will want to spring back on you more than the first 2 pieces. Discard any remaining scraps, then cover all 8 circles on the work surface and let them sit for 10 minutes so the dough can relax.

Step 8

Place one of the dough circles on the work surface and roll over it with the rolling pin, working back and forth in a single direction and then in the perpendicular direction, lengthening it and thinning it out until you have a rhombus-like shape measuring no more than 2 millimeters thick and about 5½ inches long in both directions. Place one 5 ½- or 6-inch cannoli mold across the longest part of the dough, then bring one of the opposite sides of the dough up and over so the edge is resting on the mold. Brush the edge resting on the mold with a dab of the reserved beaten egg, then fold the opposite edge of the dough up and over the mold, pressing it onto the egg-coated surface and overlapping by about ½ inch. Press firmly on the overlapped dough to seal, then grasp the mold on either end and gently lift it (and the dough) off the work surface, then set aside. Repeat this process with the remaining circles of dough, molds and egg. Set the molds aside and let sit uncovered at room temperature while you heat the oil, then slide off the molds.

Step 9

Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven to a depth of 2 to 3 inches, making sure not to fill it more than halfway (you may not use all the oil; save it for another use). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the Dutch oven and heat over medium-high until the oil registers 325 degrees. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of paper towels and set next to the stovetop.

Step 10

Use a pair of tongs to grasp a mold by the ends and gently lift it (and the dough along with it) off the work surface and lower it into the oil so it’s submerged. Hold the mold in place with the tongs until the dough puffs, blisters and starts to turn a little golden, about 20 seconds. Gently release it into the oil, then repeat with 3 more molds. Fry the first 4 shells, gently turning them often so they cook evenly, until they’re blistered all over and deep golden brown and the bubbling has mostly subsided, about 2 minutes per shell. Keep an eye on the oil temperature, as adding the shells will cause it to drop — increase the heat as needed to maintain a temperature of around 350 degrees. Lift the shells from the oil as they finish cooking, allowing any excess to drain into the Dutch oven, then transfer to the lined baking sheet. (If any molds slipped out of the shells during frying, remove them as well, making sure to let them drain.) Fry the remaining shells just as you did the first batch and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Turn off the oil and let the shells cool completely.

Step 11

Remove the filling from the refrigerator and snip a 1-inch opening in the tip or corner. Generously pipe the filling into both ends of each shell, then coat the exposed filling in chopped pistachio or mini chocolate chips, or garnish with candied peel. Serve immediately.

Tip

The shells can be fried several hours before filling, but should be served the day they’re made. Keep them loosely covered at room temperature. The filling can be made 1 day ahead; keep refrigerated. Fill the cannoli just before serving.

My note: The second time I made them, David fried the shells for a few minutes and baked at 325 F for 10 minutes. The shells stayed crispy.