Cannoli

Cannoli are crispy fried pastry tubes filled with a sweet ricotta cream, often studded with chocolate chips and candied fruit. The shells must be thin and shatteringly crisp, and the filling must be smooth and rich without being grainy or heavy. The secret is frying at the right temperature, filling them just before serving, and using room-temperature ricotta so the cream stays silky.

Ingredients for Cannoli

All-purpose flour and cocoa powder build the pastry structure. Granulated sugar and salt season the dough. Egg yolk and red wine vinegar bind the dough and add tenderness. Butter makes it flaky and rich. Water brings the dough together. Vegetable oil fries the shells until they crisp. Whole milk ricotta is the base of the filling, chosen for its smooth texture. Powdered sugar sweetens the cream without graininess. Vanilla extract adds depth. Chocolate chips and candied orange peel add texture and flavor to the filling. Pistachios garnish the ends for crunch and color.

Why This Cannoli Works

The dough is mixed just until it comes together, so it stays tender instead of becoming tough. Cold butter is cut into the flour, creating pockets that fry up light and crispy. The dough rests in the refrigerator so it relaxes and becomes easier to roll thin without shrinking back.

The ricotta filling is made ahead but the cannoli are filled just before serving, so the shells stay crisp and don’t soften from the moisture in the cream. Room-temperature ricotta blends smoothly with the powdered sugar, avoiding the grainy texture that comes from cold ricotta or regular granulated sugar.

Frying at 350°F (175°C) gives the shells time to brown and crisp without burning. The oil temperature is crucial: too cool and they absorb oil and stay soft, too hot and they brown before they cook through.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overmixing the dough makes it tough and chewy instead of tender and flaky. Mix only until the dough comes together and you no longer see dry flour, then stop.

Skipping the dough rest means it will shrink and spring back as you roll it, making it hard to get thin. Chill it for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Filling the cannoli more than a couple hours ahead softens the shells as they absorb moisture from the ricotta cream. Fill them just before you serve them.

Frying at too low a temperature makes the shells absorb oil and turn greasy instead of crisp. Check with a thermometer and hold the oil at 350°F (175°C) throughout frying.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (185 grams)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter (57 grams), cut into small pieces
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 pound whole milk ricotta, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Add egg yolk, vinegar, and cold butter pieces. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse sand with pea-sized butter pieces still visible.
3. Add 2 tablespoons water and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together, adding more water one teaspoon at a time if needed.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 3-inch rounds using a cookie cutter and lay them on parchment paper.
6. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep heavy pot to 350°F (175°C), checking with an instant-read thermometer.
7. Working in batches of 2 or 3, slide the dough rounds into the hot oil. They will sink, then float. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn with tongs and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy all over.
8. Remove the shells with a slotted spoon and immediately roll each one around a cannoli form or wooden dowel while it is still hot and pliable. Hold it for 10 to 15 seconds until it holds its shape, then slide it off and cool on a paper towel.
9. Once all shells are cooled completely, mix ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and candied orange peel.
10. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the ricotta mixture. Pipe the filling into each shell from both ends until full. Dip the filled ends into chopped pistachios and serve within 1 hour.