Rosie Makes Cannoli.

I just realized I've never made cannoli.
I must rectify this tout de suite.

Cannoli Shells

1 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting

1 TB sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

big pinch Kosher salt

2 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into little pieces

1 egg, separated

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup cold water

In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Add in butter and egg yolk.

Pulse.

Add in wine.

Pulse.

Add in enough water, a little bit at a time,

until the mixture comes together in a ball.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface

and roll into a ball, then press into a disk.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

When you're ready to use,

cut the dough in half and work with one half at a time, 

keeping the other half covered.

Lightly flour your surface and flatten the dough

as much as you can by hand.

Roll each half out to 1/8-inch thick.

I have a pasta maker so I used that.

I start out at the widest setting on the pasta rollers, #1.

Give the dough sheets a dusting of flour as needed.

I roll the dough through twice at each setting,

eventually ending at #5.

Using a pizza cutter,

I cut the dough into 3-inch squares,

keeping covered until ready to fry.

Wrap the dough squares diagonally around metal cannoli tubes

so that the points of the squares overlap.

Brush the overlapping points with the an egg wash-

the egg white beaten with 2 TB water.

Seal and press to secure.

Heat oil to 350°.

Carefully slide the cannoli into the hot oil,

being careful not to crowd the pan.

Fry until light brown and crispy,

about 1 minute or so.

Drain shells on paper towels and sprinkle powdered sugar over top.

Cool on wire rack.

Make the filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese, drained through a sieve overnight

1/4 mascarpone

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 TB lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together.

Fold in:

1/3 cup grated coffee crunch dark chocolate.

Place filling in pastry bag and pipe into cannoli.

 

For the dip:

Melt some bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl.

Fill another small bowl with crushed pistachios.

Dip the end of each cannolo in the chocolate,

then the pistachios.

And cannolo is the singular of the plural cannoli.

First run through the pasta machine at setting #1.

Setting #2.

Setting #3.

Setting #4.

I got the hang of this now.

Remember to run the sheets through twice at each setting,

in opposite directions,

dusting with flour as needed.

You pick up the stack

and run the top of the stack back through.

Setting #5.

Cut into squares.

Brush egg wash to seal.

Ready to fry.

Only 2 or 3 at a time.

Give it some powdered sugar lovin'.

Make the filling.

I love this filling.

It's fluffy and oh-so-light!

Pipe filling into cannoli.

Then dip ends into the melted chocolate and pistachios.

Oh goodness.

These are heavenly.

The shells are crisp.

The filling is so very light

and I love the hint of lemon with 

chocolate and subtle coffee flavors.

I love the contrast of the crisp cannoli shell

against the smoothness of the creamy filling.

Do not fill your cannoli until you're ready to eat.
If the filling stays in there for several hours or overnight,
the cannoli will get soggy.

I do not have that problem

 what with the company that hangs around here.

All twelve were gone in no time
and I made a second batch with the other half of pastry dough.