Italian
Cannoli Croccante by Renato Poliafito
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 45 minutes
- Serves Makes 12 cannoli
Author Notes
"Making the traditional cannoli found in Italian American bakeries is, to put it lightly, not the easiest task. The dough is tough to get just right and then it needs to be wrapped around a mold and deep-fried. (Many bakeries buy premade shells, but you didn't hear it from me.) A couple summers ago, I stumbled across these cannoli croccante in Naples, and it was one of those magic "a-ha!" moments that sometimes happen in a foreign country. I'd finally found a cannoli that's easier to make, at the bakery or at home. The shell is essentially a lace cookie, studded with chopped nuts and bound together with sugar and a little flour, then rolled onto a cannoli mold when fresh out of the oven. I fill these with sweet ricotta, but Nutella folded into some pastry cream is also welcome in the piping bag.
Tip: Once the shells have cooled, gild the lily by dipping the edge of each shell in melted chocolate. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet to set before filling." - Renato
From DOLCI! by Renato Poliafito with Casey Elsass. Copyright © 2024 by Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. —Food52
Ingredients
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FOR THE CANNOLI
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4 tablespoons
(55 grams) unsalted butter
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6 packed tablespoons
(75 grams) light brown sugar
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2 tablespoons
(30 grams) fresh orange juice
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2 1/2 tablespoons
(50 grams) light corn syrup
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3 tablespoons
(30 grams) all-purpose flour
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1 rounded cups
(120 grams) walnuts, finely chopped
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FOR THE FILLING
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2 cups
(455 grams) fresh ricotta, or good-quality ricotta cheese, drained overnight
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1/2 cup
(70 grams) powdered sugar
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1 teaspoon
(5 grams) vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon
(2 grams) grated orange zest
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1/4 cup
(60 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Make the cannoli: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, orange juice, and corn syrup, and stir once to submerge the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and walnuts. Remove from the heat and let the dough cool until still slightly warm, about 30 minutes.
- Scoop 22 grams (1 tablespoon) of dough, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball and place onto the baking sheet. Add 5 more scoops of dough for a total of 6 balls of dough, spacing them evenly. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet.
- As soon as the first batch goes into the oven, prep the second baking sheet with 6 balls of dough. When you rotate the first batch, add the second baking sheet to the oven, making a sort of cannoli shell assembly line.
- When the first batch spreads and starts to crisp, another 5 minutes, remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Timing is important here, so working quickly, roll each cookie around a cannoli mold and let set for 10 minutes. If the cookie hardened too quickly before you could roll it around the mold, just pop it back in the oven for no more than 1 minute to soften so you can easily roll. Once set, remove the shells from the molds and set them seam-side down on a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat this process with the second batch.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk until fully combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and fold to incorporate. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pipe the filling into both sides of each cannoli shell, starting from the center and working outward. Arrange the filled cannoli on a plate and serve.
- The unfilled cannoli shells and filling can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Fill just before serving.
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