Sicilian Cannoli

La storia di questo piatto

Born from the sun-scorched hills of Sicily, the cannolo carries centuries of Arab spice, Norman sweetness, and Baroque excess in a single golden shell — it is not a dessert, it is an island compressed into a bite.

Ingredienti

• 250 g Type 00 flour
• 50 g Cold butter
• 50 ml Dry white wine
• 1 piece Egg
• 20 g Sugar for dough
• 3 g Salt
• 500 g Fresh sheep's ricotta
• 250 g Powdered sugar
• 150 g Dark chocolate chips
• 50 g Candied orange zest
• 1000 ml Peanut oil for frying
• 30 g Crushed Bronte pistachio

Preparazione

1. In a bowl, place the flour and add the cold butter cut into small pieces. With your fingers, rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs: you should feel the little butter granules mixing with the flour. Add the egg, wine, sugar, and salt. Stir with a fork until the liquid starts to be absorbed, then continue with your hands until you form a soft and smooth dough with no lumps. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest on the countertop at room temperature: during this time it will become more elastic and easier to roll out.
2. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin, flattening it gradually until it becomes as thin as a coin (about 2 millimeters). Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut rectangles that are 8 centimeters wide and 12 centimeters long: you can trace the lines with your finger before cutting as a guide. Take a rectangle and position the metal tube diagonally on one corner, then wrap it around the tube gently, rolling the dough without tearing it. When you reach the end, brush the free edge with a little raw egg white (it acts as glue) and press lightly to seal. Repeat with all the rectangles and place them on a plate.
3. Pour oil into a deep pot (at least 20 centimeters deep) and heat it over medium-high heat. To understand if it's ready, immerse a small piece of bread: if it sizzles immediately and turns golden in just a few seconds, the oil has reached the right temperature (about 180°C). Immerse the raw cannoli (still around the tubes) with caution, a few at a time so you don't crowd the pot and cause the oil temperature to drop. Fry them, turning them every 1 to 1.5 minutes or so, until the pastry becomes golden and crispy on all sides: you'll hear the dry and vibrant sound of frying and see the pastry puff up slightly. Remove them with tongs and place them on paper towels to eliminate excess oil. When they are warm to the touch (cool enough to handle, but not completely cold), gently slide each cannolo off the metal tube by rotating it slightly.
4. Pour the fresh ricotta into a bowl. Take a fine-mesh sieve and pass the ricotta through it, pushing it with a spoon through the mesh: it will become smooth, without lumps and lighter. Add the powdered sugar by sifting it directly over top to prevent lumps, and mix gently with a spoon. Incorporate the dark chocolate pieces, the candied orange peel cut small, and two-thirds of the finely chopped pistachios, saving the rest for decoration. Mix everything together with gentle motions from bottom to top, as if you were lifting the cream: this keeps the ricotta soft and airy without flattening it.
5. When the cannoli are warm to the touch, gently slide each cannolo off the metal tube by rotating it slightly. Fill them immediately with the ricotta cream using a pastry bag fitted with a smooth tip: insert the tip into the cavity at one end and squeeze the cream, moving the bag toward the center of the cannolo, then repeat from the other end until it's well filled. Decorate the two ends (the "heads" of the cannolo) by sprinkling them with the remaining chopped pistachios and pressing lightly with your fingers so it adheres well.
6. Serve the cannoli immediately, while they are still hot or just warm: this is the moment when the pastry is crispy and the cold cream pleasantly contrasts with the warmth of the pastry. They are best if consumed the same day they are made, because as time passes the moisture from the ricotta softens the outer pastry and it loses its characteristic crunchiness.