This blog has been a little hard to get out to you. As you know I also have a YouTube channel and this recipe is also going there. What you also know is I am 2 weeks out of a cornea transplant. I am only able to sit at the computer about 20 minutes at a time before I have to rest my eye. However, since nobody has time for that kind of nonsense, I have my eye patch on and I am getting this out to you this evening come hell or high water!
My daughter in law has literally been asking me to make these with her for 4 years. Yes, seriously. I don't know what caused me to dive into this 6 days out of surgery but I did. It was a fun day spent together and the outcome was nothing short of heaven. Jersey girls looking for real cannoli in the midwest doesn't usually work out so well for us. No pudding, no custard. The fakery must be stopped! This filling is true sweetened ricotta, with a custard like base. It is perfection. Just the way we love them!
Use chocolate chips or don't. Use dried pieces of fruit or don't. Use pistachios, or don't. These are your cannolis! I like mine plain, but we did most with chocolate chips! It isn't a hard process but it is a bit of a lengthy one. You WILL NEED CANNOLI FORMS! You can find them almost anywhere these days!
Shells:
2 cups Flour
2 TBSP Butter
2 TBSP Sugar (White Granulated)
2 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa
1 TSP Cinnamon
1/2 cup Seltzer Water or Marsala Wine
(You can do this in a bowl with a fork or pastry cutter, but I am using my food processor)
In your food processor add, flour, butter, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Pule until ingredients are in crumbs. Add in seltzer water slowly, pulsiing until mixture is combined. Your dough should be wet enough to hold together but not sticky. If it is a little dry add a bit more water, if it is sticky add just a wee bit more flour, it is pretty forgiving that way. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest.
Filling:
2 cups Milk
3/4 cup Cornstarch
2 cups Sugar
2 LBS Ricotta Cheese
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1-2 cups Mini Chocolate Chips
NOTE: This will make extra filling. I will put a link at the end for a recipe to use it for, or freeze it for later cannoli making!
In a large pot add milk, cornstarch and sugar. Slowly bring to a boil and stir constantly until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let sit, covered, in the refrigerator until COMPLETELY cooled! When it is cooled, place mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer or use a hand mixer and add ricotta cheese and vanilla. Mix until smooth and well combined. I used the whisk attachment on mine for about 30 seconds at the end. Place back in the refrigerator.
To make the shells, roll out your dough as thin as possible without it ripping. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut circles out of the dough. Wrap around your cannoli forms and using an egg wash, brush the sides that lay on each other to seal your shell! Continue with all of your dough or as with as many forms as you have.
Heat oil to 350 degrees and fry a few at a time until golden brown. About 4-6 minutes. Place on a paper towel lined cookie sheet, let sit for a couple of minutes and remove form. You may need to use tongs, if they are still hot. Make sure to let the shells cool completely to make sure they are as done and hardened as they should be (the first batch) so you can adjust if needed!
When all of your shells are fried and cooled, using a piping bag or food storage bag with the corner cut off to fill your cannolis! Make sure to add a few chocolate chips to the ends so they can be seen!
ENJOY!
Buon Appetito!
SAVE THAT EXTRA FILLING! Freeze it and use it for the holidays or later with this recipe!
Mini Cannoli Bites
