HOMEMADE ITALIAN CANNOLI

Desserts & PastriesItalianVegetarian and Vegan
Written By Chef Gabriel G.

⏲ Prep time ⏲ Cooking time Difficulty level Portions

50 min Cook time: 25 min ★★★☆☆ 12

Resting time: 30 min for dough

: 1 hour for ricotta draining

Ingredients

Cannoli shells (makes 12 large or 18 medium)

•          Plain flour — 250 g

•          Caster sugar — 25 g

•          Fine salt — 2 g

•          Ground cinnamon — 1 g

•          Cold butter — 30 g

•          Egg — 50 g (1 medium)

•          Marsala wine (or white wine) — 60 g

•          White vinegar — 5 g

•          Water — 10–15 g (only if needed)

•          Oil for frying — 1,000 g (not absorbed, but needed for depth)

Ricotta filling

•          Fresh ricotta (well-drained) — 700 g

•          Icing sugar — 150 g

•          Dark chocolate chips — 80 g

•          Candied orange peel, finely chopped — 40 g

•          Vanilla extract — 3 g

•          Orange zest — 4 g

Optional finishes

•          Pistachios, chopped — 40 g

•          Extra icing sugar for dusting — 10 g

Cooking instructions

1. Make the shell dough

  • Mix flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

  • Rub in butter until sandy.

  • Add egg, Marsala, and vinegar; knead until smooth.

  • Rest dough 30 minutes (essential for blistering).

  • Roll very thin (1–1.5 mm), cut circles 10–12 cm.

  • Wrap around cannoli tubes and seal edges with a dab of egg.

2. Fry

  • Fry at 175–180°C for 1–2 minutes until deep golden and blistered.

  • Drain and cool fully before removing from tubes.

3. Prepare the filling

  •   Drain ricotta in a sieve for at least 1 hour.

  • Beat ricotta with icing sugar until smooth.

  • Fold in chocolate chips, candied peel, vanilla, and zest.

  • Chill until ready to pipe.

4. Assemble

  • Pipe filling into both ends of each shell just before serving to keep them crisp.

  • Dip ends in pistachios if desired.

  • Dust lightly with icing sugar.

Chef ’s Notes

•          Drain ricotta well—excess moisture ruins the texture and softens the shells.

•          Marsala is key for flavour and blistering; if substituting, add a touch more vinegar.

•          Roll thinner than you think; thick dough won’t blister properly.

•          Fill at the last moment—even 20 minutes early will soften the shells.

•          Variations: add cinnamon to the filling, swap chocolate for chopped pistachios, or fold in a spoon of orange marmalade for a richer citrus note.

•          Storage: shells keep 3–4 days airtight; filling keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Chef Gabriel G.

Chef Gabriel G. is a culinary professional with over 25 years of experience in professional kitchens, bringing deep expertise from restaurants, hotels, and culinary training environments. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself not only to cooking but also to sharing knowledge, developing menus, and mentoring the next generation of culinary professionals. His approach combines classical culinary foundations with modern techniques, focusing on precision, quality ingredients, and efficient kitchen practices.

Over the past two and a half decades, Chef Gabriel G. has worked in a variety of demanding culinary environments, including restaurants, hotel kitchens, and professional culinary operations. These experiences have given him a strong understanding of kitchen management, workflow optimization, and high-level food production.

He has been involved in menu creation and implementation, ensuring that dishes are not only flavorful but also operationally efficient and consistent in quality. His work has helped kitchens improve organization, maintain high standards, and deliver memorable dining experiences.

Previous

PERSIAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS (MAHICHE)
Next

PORK CHOPS WITH BAYLEAVES AND LEMON SAUCE