Crispy Cannoli with Sweet Ricotta and Pistachio
Fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta at the last minute, so the shells stay glass-crisp instead of going soft.
- Serves
- 12
- Prep
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
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Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together, then cut in the cold butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
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Stir in the egg yolk, Marsala, and vinegar with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured counter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
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Roll the dough as thin as it will go without tearing — a pasta roller on the second-to-last setting works well — and cut into 4-inch circles.
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Wrap each circle around a metal cannoli tube, overlapping the edge slightly, and seal the seam with a dab of the egg white.
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Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. Fry the tubes 3 or 4 at a time, turning once, until deep golden and blistered, about 2 minutes.
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Lift onto a paper-towel-lined rack with tongs. Once cool enough to handle, twist the shells off the tubes and let cool completely.
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Beat the ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips.
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Pipe the filling into both ends of each shell just before serving. Dip the filled ends in pistachios and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Fill these at the last minute, not ahead — ricotta is mostly water even after draining, and a filled shell goes from crisp to soggy inside an hour. Fry the shells a day or two early instead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature; the filling takes ten minutes to whip up right before serving.
No metal cannoli tubes? Wrap 1-inch wooden dowels tightly in foil and use those — the shells release just as easily. Skip the Marsala and use dry white wine plus an extra teaspoon of vinegar if that’s what’s open.