Quick Cannoli, or Cannoli Spicci: If you lack the patience to make cannoli following the traditional recipe, this recipe will yield about 40 cannoli.
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- ** For The Shells **
- 4 1/5 cups (500 g) flour
- 1/3 cup (60 g) sugar
- 2/3 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 1 ounce (25 g) cocoa powder
- 2 whole eggs
- Half a glass of Marsala (a rich Sicilian fortified wine)
- 1 teaspoon ground espresso coffee
- Lard (for frying; you can use oil)
- A pinch of salt
- ** For The Filling **
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) fresh ricotta
- 7 cups (700 g) powdered sugar (the kind without starch)
- A few drops vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (200 g) candied melon rind, finely diced
- 6 ounces (150 g) bitter chocolate, crumbled
- 40 candied cherry halves and 4 bit of candied orange peel
- A half cup (have more handy) minced pistachio nuts.
Preparation:
To make the shells, prepare the ingredients following the main recipe, and after letting the dough rest, divvy it up into 40 equal pieces. Roll them out into 3 by 4-inch (7.5 by 10 cm) squares, roll them up around lightly greased cannolo forms, brushing the edges with beaten egg before you tamp them down, and fry them a few at a time in hot fat until they're a pretty mahogany brown.Drain the fried shells on absorbent paper, and then carefully work them free. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag without a nozzle (you just want an opening) and fill the shells, decorating them with the candied cherries, orange peel, and pistachios. Dust the filled cannoli with powdered sugar and they're ready.
