***** CANNOLI ALLA SICILIANA *****
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Categories: Pastries Italian
Calories per serving: Number of Servings: 24
Fat grams per serving: Approx. Cook Time:
Cholesterol per serving: Marks:
INGREDIENTS ------------------------------------------------------------
Pastry Shells:
3 cup sifted pastry flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp warm water
2 Tbsp white dry wine
1 pint oil
3 Tbsp chopped pistachio nuts
1/2 cup powdered or confectioner's sugar
Filling:
1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese or American pot cheese
3 Tbsp mild honey or 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp orange-flower water or almond extract
1 Tbsp diced citron
2 Tbsp chopped or shaved semisweet chocolate
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
DIRECTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------
Combine and mix with a fork the first 5 ingredients. Dissolve sugar in warm
water, add wine, and combine with flour mixture. Mix with wooden
spoon until well blended. Toss on lightly floured board and knead
until dough is soft, smooth, and manageable, about 10 minutes, adding
a little more flour, sparingly as needed. Divide dough in 2 parts;
cover and set aside in cool place 30 minutes. Roll out each piece of
dough into noodle thinness; cut into pieces 3 by 4 inches, or into
circles, with knife or fluted pastry wheel, and wrap each piece around
wooden sticks or aluminum cannoli tubes, about 3/4 inch in diameter
and 5 to 6 inches long. Lap over and press opposite ends of dough
together. Drop 3 or 4 sticks thus covered at a time into 3-inch-deep
hot oil or fat and cook about 1 minute, turning to brown evenly.
Remove with tongs or perforated spoon; cool slightly and gently slip
off sticks; carefully, to prevent cracking, place shells on absorbent
paper. Fill (see below) when cold, just before serving, to keep
shells crisp. Garnish ends with chopped nuts and dust with powdered
or confectioner's sugar. (Yields about 2 dozen shells.)
For Filling: Combine and blend first 4 ingredients and rub through
sieve; add balance of ingredients; blend well and store in
refrigerator until shells are ready to be filled. Variations: Fill
shells with chocolate, coconut, or lemon pudding, whipped cream, or
custard, as desired. If you want to make your own cannoli forms: Cut
down a thin broomstick to 6-inch lengths; scrub with hot soap suds
until clean and smooth; rinse in hot water and dry thoroughly. Metal
or aluminum tubes about the same size may be purchased at hardware and
department stores.