Yield: 12 cannoli
Ingredients:
Cannoli Shell
2 cups (470 ml) flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
1/8 teaspoon (.75 ml) salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons cup (75 ml) white wine
Vegetable oil, for frying and greasing cannoli tubes
1 egg white, beaten
¼ cup (60 ml) chocolate chips
Filling
2 2/3 cups (630 ml) ricotta, strained
2 drops red food colouring
10 drops yellow food colouring
2/3 cup (160 ml) icing sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) blood orange zest
2 tablespoons (30 ml) blood orange juice
Special equipment:
12 metal cannoli tubes
Method:
Let’s get baking! To make the shells, sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into a bowl.
Using fingers, work butter into the flour mixture a few cubes at a time.
Stir in red wine vinegar, then stir in the wine.
Turn out onto the counter and knead until the dough is uniform and smooth.
Roll the dough into a disc, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Heat a few inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 F (180 C). Prepare cannoli tubes by greasing lightly with vegetable oil.
Unwrap, lightly flour, and roll discs of dough very thin, about 1/13-inch (2 mm).
Cut into 12 large circles using a 4-inch (10 cm) cookie cutter.
Wrap the individual dough circles around the prepared metal tubes.
Use beaten egg white to seal where the edges meet.
Flare the ends out slightly for easier removal after frying.
Fry dough-wrapped tubes, in batches, 4-5 minutes per batch, or until golden brown and crispy.
Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, slip the finished cannoli shells off of the tubes and reserve.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Add ricotta, yellow food colouring, and red food colouring to bowl and use an electric hand mixer to mix until smooth.
Mix in the icing sugar until incorporated.
Use a spatula to fold in the blood orange zest and juice.
Refrigerate for 1 hour, then transfer to a piping bag.
Before serving, finish the shell presentation. Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl over boiling water or in the microwave, stirring until glossy.
Dip both ends of each of the shells into the melted chocolate, then set aside briefly, allowing the chocolate to cool and firm up.
To serve, neatly pipe the filling into the finished shells from both ends and serve immediately.
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