Italy · Desserts
Cannoli.
Crispy fried shells filled with sweet ricotta cream. Sicily’s most famous pastry, and a line from The Godfather.
Illustration created with AI
The story of cannoli.
Cannoli come from Sicily, around Palermo, where they were made for Carnival. Sugar cane and many sweet traditions arrived on the island with the Arabs, and the marriage of ricotta and sugar is one of their legacies.
Americans know them well thanks to Italian bakeries in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and to one famous line from The Godfather: “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” A little grammar tip: cannoli is plural, one is a cannolo.
Origin: Sicily, Italy
Where to find the ingredients in the US.
- Ricotta: sheep’s milk ricotta is traditional; whole-milk cow’s ricotta, drained overnight, works well.
- Shells: you will need metal cannoli tubes. Short on time? Buy ready-made shells.
- Marsala: sweet or dry Marsala wine, in any liquor store.
Three steps. That’s it.
What each stage should look like.
Step 1
Roll and wrap.
Roll the dough thin, cut circles and wrap them around the tubes.
Step 2
Fry until bubbly.
Fry the shells until golden and blistered, then slide off the tubes.
Step 3
Fill at the last minute.
Pipe the ricotta cream into the shells just before serving.
Illustrations created with AI
Recipe
Cannoli.
Prep 1 h · Cook 20 min · Total 1 h 20 min + overnight draining
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt
- lard or butter, softened
- large egg (plus 1 egg white for sealing)
- Marsala wine
- vegetable oil, for frying
- whole-milk ricotta, drained overnight
- powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- mini chocolate chips
- chopped pistachios or candied orange peel, for the ends
Instructions
- The day before, put the ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl, cover and drain in the fridge overnight.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Add the lard, egg and Marsala and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough very thin (about 1/16 inch / 1.5 mm), cut 4-inch (10 cm) circles, wrap each loosely around a tube and seal the overlap with egg white.
- Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry 2–3 shells at a time for 1–2 minutes, until golden and blistered. Drain, cool slightly and carefully slide off the tubes.
- Beat the drained ricotta with the powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Just before serving, fill the shells from both ends, dip the ends in pistachios or orange peel and dust with powdered sugar.
What you’ll need.
Cannoli tubes.
Stainless steel tubes for shaping the shells.
Deep-fry thermometer.
To keep the oil at the right temperature.
Piping bag.
For clean, generous filling.
