Cannoli Siciliani

Ingredients

Pastry dough

• 250 g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 30 g unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
• 1 egg yolk (large)
• 80 ml sweet Marsala (or sweet sherry, or dry white wine + 1 tablespoon sugar)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

To fry

• 1 litre sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 egg white (for sealing the dough around the forms)
• 12 metal cannoli forms (cylinders 13 cm long; widely sold at Italian shops and online)

Ricotta filling

• 600 g whole-ricotta (drain overnight in muslin in the fridge - see Stage 1)
• 120 g icing sugar (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 orange (zest)
• 60 g dark chocolate chips (or finely chopped dark chocolate)
• 30 g candied orange peel (finely chopped)
• 30 g candied citron (optional - sold at Italian / cake-decorating shops)

To finish

• 50 g shelled unsalted pistachios (finely chopped)
• 50 g dark chocolate (grated or finely chopped, optional)
• 30 g icing sugar (for dusting)
• 12 maraschino cherries (optional)

Method

Stage 1 - Drain the ricotta

1. Line a sieve with muslin or a clean tea towel; set over a bowl.
2. Tip the ricotta in; tie up the corners of the cloth; weight with a small plate.
3. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The ricotta should be firm and almost pasta-thick.

Stage 2 - Dough

1. In a wide bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt.
2. Rub in the cold cubed butter with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well; add egg yolk, Marsala and vinegar.
4. Mix with a fork, then by hand, to a stiff but pliable dough.
5. Knead on a floured surface for 6-8 minutes - the dough should be smooth and elastic.
6. Wrap in cling film; rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Stage 3 - Roll and cut

1. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin sheet - ideally pasta-thin, around 2 mm thick. Use a pasta machine if you have one, taking it down to setting 5 or 6.
2. Cut out 12 cm discs (or 12 x 8 cm oval shapes - the traditional shape).
3. Re-roll scraps once.

Stage 4 - Form

1. Brush each metal cannoli form lightly with oil.
2. Wrap a disc of dough around each form (lengthwise), overlapping the edges by 2 cm.
3. Brush the overlap with egg white; press firmly to seal.

Stage 5 - Fry

1. Heat oil to 180°C in a deep pot.
2. Lower 3-4 cannoli (still on their forms) into the oil with tongs.
3. Fry 90 seconds to 2 minutes, turning, until deep amber and blistered.
4. Lift onto kitchen paper.
5. Once cool enough to handle (about 5 minutes), gently slide each shell off its form. The metal will be hot - use a tea towel.
6. Re-oil the forms between batches.

Stage 6 - Make the filling

1. In a bowl, mix the drained ricotta, icing sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest until smooth.
2. Fold in chocolate chips and candied peel.
3. Taste; the filling should be sweet but not cloying.
4. If you want a smoother texture, press the ricotta through a fine sieve before mixing.

Stage 7 - Prep finishing components

1. Spread chopped pistachios on a small plate.
2. Spread grated chocolate on another plate (if using).

Stage 8 - Fill (at the moment of serving)

1. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a 1 ½ cm plain or star nozzle (or use a freezer bag with the corner snipped).
2. Pipe the filling into each shell from both ends, working from the centre outward, until the shell is generously full and the filling protrudes slightly from each end.
3. Press one end into chopped pistachios; the other end into chopped chocolate (or both ends in pistachios).
4. Optional: press a maraschino cherry into one end.

Stage 9 - Serve

1. Dust with icing sugar at the table.
2. Eat within 30 minutes of filling - beyond that, the shell softens.