There is a rule in Sicily: a cannolo is filled at the moment you order it, never before. The whole magic lies in the contrast between the shatteringly crisp fried shell and the cool, sweet ricotta cream within. Fill them too early and the shell goes soft, and a soft cannolo is a sad thing indeed.
Making cannoli at home is a genuine project, but every step is achievable in an ordinary kitchen. The dough is enriched with wine and a little vinegar for those signature blisters, and the filling is nothing more than well-drained ricotta, sugar and whatever you love — pistachios, candied orange, chocolate.
The shell: blisters and bubbles
A good cannolo shell is covered in tiny blisters and crackles when you bite it. Two things create that: a splash of dry white wine or Marsala in the dough, and frying at the right temperature. The wine reacts in the hot oil to throw up those characteristic bubbles.
Roll the dough as thin as you dare — you should almost see through it. Thick shells fry up hard and bready rather than light and glassy. A pasta machine makes this far easier than a rolling pin.
The filling: ricotta, drained twice
Sicilian filling is traditionally made with sheep's milk ricotta, prized for its richness. Whatever you use, drain it ruthlessly — overnight in a sieve — then beat it smooth with icing sugar. Some pass it through a sieve twice for a silken finish.
Fold in mini chocolate chips, chopped pistachio or candied orange, then pipe it into the shells from both ends so every bite is full. Dip the exposed ends in more pistachio and dust with icing sugar.
Nonna's tip
Brush a little melted chocolate inside each shell before filling and let it set. It forms a waterproof seal that keeps the shells crisp for an hour or two longer.
