Cannoli Siciliani — The Classic Italian Dessert with Ricotta Cream and Pistachios

Cannoli is Sicily’s most famous dessert — crispy fried pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream. Its origins are linked to the island’s Arab period, and today it is a symbol of Italian pastry-making worldwide. The secret is to fill the shells just before serving, so they stay crispy.

INGREDIENTS (makes about 12 cannoli)

For the shells:

• 250 g flour
• 30 g sugar
• 30 g cold butter (lard is traditionally used)
• 1 egg
• 60 ml Marsala wine (or sweet white wine)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa (optional, for a deeper color)
• Sunflower oil for frying

For the cream:

• 500 g sheep’s ricotta, well drained
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 50 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 50 g candied fruit (cherries, orange peel)
• 30 g chopped pistachios
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A little grated orange zest (optional)

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and cocoa; add the chopped cold butter and rub with your fingers until it resembles sand. Add the egg, vinegar and Marsala wine and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic dough. Wrap in cling film and let it rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Roll the dough out very thin (about 2 mm), cut circles of about 10 cm in diameter, wrap each around metal cannoli tubes and seal the edges with a little egg white.
3. Heat the oil to 170–180°C and fry the shells for 2–3 minutes, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and carefully remove from the tubes once slightly cooled.
4. Drain the ricotta in cheesecloth for at least 2 hours in the fridge (better overnight) so the cream doesn’t come out watery. Beat the ricotta with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it becomes a soft, even cream.
5. Add the chopped chocolate and candied fruit to the cream; mix gently.
6. Just before serving, fill the shells with the cream using a pastry bag — filling at the last moment keeps the shells crispy.
7. Dip the filled ends in chopped pistachios, dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

TIME AND SERVINGS

Preparation about 45 minutes (plus 1 hour dough resting); cooking about 20 minutes. Makes about 12 cannoli.