Homemade Cannoli Siciliani with Orange Ricotta Cream

⏱ 90 min · Serves 6

Crisp, blistered shells fried until they shatter at the first bite, filled with silky sweetened ricotta scented with orange and studded with dark chocolate. Worth every minute — and the shells can be made a day ahead.

Per serving: 565 kcal · 15.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 29.0g fat

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 30g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 120ml dry Marsala wine (or dry white wine)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg white, beaten (for sealing)
• 1 litre sunflower oil, for frying
• 500g sheep's or whole-milk ricotta, well drained overnight
• 120g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 60g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• Extra icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Whisk flour, caster sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until sandy. Add the egg yolk and Marsala and bring together into a firm dough, adding a splash more wine if dry. Knead 5 minutes until smooth, wrap and rest 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, beat the drained ricotta with the icing sugar, vanilla and orange zest until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chopped chocolate and chill.
3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface as thin as you can (1–2mm). Cut out 10–11cm circles — you should get about 12.
4. Wrap each circle loosely around a greased metal cannoli tube, overlapping the edges and sealing firmly with beaten egg white. Don't let the egg white touch the tube.
5. Heat the oil to 180°C in a deep pan. Fry 2–3 at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning, until golden and blistered. Lift out, drain on kitchen paper and, once cool enough to handle, gently twist the shells off the tubes. Reuse the tubes for the rest.
6. Cool the shells completely. Spoon the ricotta cream into a piping bag and fill each shell from both ends, only just before serving so they stay crisp.
7. Dip the ends in chopped pistachios, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with strong coffee.