North End Cannoli
Crisp fried pastry shells filled with sweetened ricotta, the signature dessert of Boston's North End Italian bakeries.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 280 kcal
Equipment
- •Cannoli tubes
- •Deep fryer or heavy pot
- •Pastry bag
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- fat
- 15
- carbs
- 30
- protein
- 6
- calories
- 280
Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour, sugar, and cold butter until crumbly. Stir in the Marsala wine until a firm dough forms.
- 2
Wrap the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Roll the dough thin and cut into circles. Wrap each circle around a greased cannoli tube, sealing with egg white.
- 4
Heat oil to 360°F (182°C). Fry the shells for a couple minutes each until golden and blistered.
- 5
Let the shells cool slightly. Carefully slide them off the tubes and let them cool completely.
- 6
Beat the ricotta with powdered sugar until smooth. Gently mix in half the chocolate chips.
- 7
Pipe the filling into both ends of each shell right before serving.
- 8
Dip the open filling ends into the remaining chocolate chips. Dust the shells with powdered sugar.
Chef's tips
Drain the ricotta overnight in cheesecloth so the filling is not watery. Fill the shells right before serving to keep them crisp instead of soggy.
Storage
Store unfilled shells in an airtight container up to a week; filled cannoli should be eaten within a few hours.
Reheating
Not applicable; served cold or at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using watery ricotta, which makes the filling runny.
- •Filling the shells too early, causing them to go soft.
Serving suggestions
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