How to Make Authentic Sicilian Cannoli — A Palermo Pasticciere and Italian-American Food Historian Walk Through the Exact Technique

Overview

This video teaches how to make authentic Sicilian cannoli from scratch, guided by a master pasticciere and a food historian. It details traditional techniques for crafting crispy shells with lard and a smooth, sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta filling. Viewers learn critical steps like draining ricotta for 12-24 hours and filling cannoli just before serving to prevent sogginess.

Ingredients

• 250 grams Italian double-zero flour
• 30 grams granulated sugar
• 1 gram fine sea salt
• 1 gram ground cinnamon
• 30 grams cold lard or unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 30 milliliters dry Marsala wine
• 30 milliliters white-wine vinegar
• Beaten egg white
• 500 grams sheep-milk ricotta or whole-milk ricotta
• 150 grams sifted powdered sugar
• 1 gram pure vanilla extract
• 50 grams finely diced 70-percent dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water (optional)
• 1 liter sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Drain Ricotta: Line a sieve over a bowl with four-fold thick cheesecloth. Place 500 grams of ricotta inside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours at 4 degrees Celsius.
2. Combine Dry Dough Ingredients: In a clean bowl, combine 250 grams of Italian double-zero flour, 30 grams of granulated sugar, 1 gram of fine sea salt, and 1 gram of ground cinnamon.
3. Cut in Fat: Cut 30 grams of cold lard or unsalted butter into the dry ingredients using fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
4. Add Wet Dough Ingredients: Add 1 large egg yolk, 30 milliliters of dry Marsala wine, and 30 milliliters of white-wine vinegar to the dough mixture.
5. Knead Dough: Mix to form a firm but pliable dough. Knead by hand for 10 minutes on a clean wooden surface until silky and smooth.
6. Rest Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or ideally 2 hours.
7. Roll and Cut Dough: Roll the dough very thin, to 1 millimeter, by hand or using a pasta machine set to setting seven. Cut the dough into 9-centimeter circles.
8. Wrap and Seal Shells: Wrap one dough circle around a 12-centimeter long, 1.5-centimeter diameter metal cannoli tube, overlapping the edge slightly. Brush the overlap with beaten egg white and press to seal.
9. Heat Frying Oil: Heat 1 liter of sunflower oil in a deep pan to exactly 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit), using a thermometer.
10. Fry Shells: Drop two or three wrapped tubes into the hot oil. Fry for exactly 90 seconds until the shells turn golden, bubbly, and blistered.
11. Remove and Cool Shells: Lift out fried shells with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel, and cool for 5 minutes. Gently slide the metal tube out from inside the shell.
12. Prepare Filling Base: Place the fully-drained ricotta (about 350 grams) in a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment. Add 150 grams of sifted powdered sugar and 1 gram of pure vanilla extract.
13. Beat Filling: Beat the ricotta mixture on medium speed for exactly 3 minutes until smooth, glossy, and noticeably thicker.
14. Fold in Chocolate: By hand, fold in 50 grams of finely diced 70-percent dark chocolate.
15. Add Optional Orange Blossom Water: Optionally, fold in 1 teaspoon of orange-blossom water.
16. Refrigerate Filling: Cover and refrigerate the filling at 4 degrees Celsius until ready to pipe, using within 24 hours.
17. Fill Cannoli: Fill the cooled cannoli shells just before serving.

In this video

• Authentic Sicilian cannoli feature a fried tube filled with sweetened, drained sheep's-milk ricotta, often garnished with chocolate, pistachios, or candied orange peel.
• This 800-year-old dessert originated in Palermo and Caltanissetta, influenced by Saracen introductions of sugar cane and ricotta-making techniques.
• Three critical elements for real Palermo cannoli are shells made with strutto (pork lard), 24-hour drained sheep's-milk ricotta, and filling just before serving.
• Ricotta for the filling requires 500 grams of sheep-milk or whole-milk ricotta to be drained in cheesecloth for 12 to 24 hours at 4 degrees Celsius, removing about 150 ml of water.
• The shell dough combines 250 grams of Italian double-zero flour, 30 grams of sugar, 1 gram of salt, 1 gram of cinnamon, 30 grams of lard or butter, 1 large egg yolk, 30 ml of dry Marsala, and 30 ml of white-wine vinegar.
• White-wine vinegar in the dough is vital for tenderizing gluten and creating the characteristic bubbly, blistered surface during frying.
• After kneading for 10 minutes, the dough must rest for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature to relax gluten for rolling to a 1-millimeter thickness.
• Dough circles, 9 centimeters in diameter, are wrapped around 12-centimeter metal tubes, sealed with egg white, and fried.
• Shells are fried in 1 liter of sunflower oil at precisely 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 90 seconds until golden and blistered.
• The filling is prepared by beating 350 grams of drained ricotta with 150 grams of sifted powdered sugar and 1 gram of vanilla extract for 3 minutes, then folding in 50 grams of finely diced 70-percent dark chocolate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the origin of cannoli?

Cannoli originated in the Palermo and Caltanissetta regions of Sicily around the ninth century AD, during the time of the Saracens, who introduced key ingredients like sugar cane and almond, and ricotta-cheese-making techniques. The dessert is 800 years old.

Why is draining ricotta important for cannoli?

Draining ricotta is non-negotiable for cannoli because it removes about 150 ml of water, preventing the shells from becoming soggy and weeping within ten minutes of filling. The ricotta should be drained for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

What makes authentic Sicilian cannoli shells crispy and blistered?

Authentic Sicilian cannoli shells achieve their crispy, blistered texture through the use of strutto (pork lard) in the dough and white-wine vinegar, which tenderizes gluten and aids in surface blistering during frying. The dough is rolled very thin, to 1 millimeter, before frying for 90 seconds at 180 degrees Celsius.

What ingredients are used in traditional cannoli filling?

Traditional cannoli filling primarily uses 500 grams of drained sheep's-milk ricotta, sweetened with 150 grams of sifted powdered sugar and flavored with 1 gram of vanilla extract. Finely diced 70-percent dark chocolate is folded in, and orange-blossom water is an optional classic addition.

When should cannoli be filled?

Cannoli must be filled just before serving, according to Sicilian tradition. This is crucial to prevent the shells from becoming soggy from the ricotta's moisture.