Ingredients
- 1 1/3 C flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp shortening (or butter)
- 6 Tbsp white wine – approximately
- 2 egg whites – frothed
- Vegetable Oil or shortening for frying
Special Equipment
- Cannoli Tubes – usually lightweight aluminum, but some are wooden. They are usually 6” to 8” long and 1” in diameter.
- Thermometer – this is really helpful for monitoring the oil temperature to be sure that you are frying at the optimal temp.
- Pasta Roller – helpful but not necessary.
- Deep Sauce Pan or Fryer –a deep sauce pan is for safety.
Directions
In a large bowl, stir to combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or a fork until fully incorporated. Add 4 tablespoons of wine (I use a Pinot Grigio) mixing at first with a fork and then kneading it in to make a dough. If the dough is too dry, add more wine a tablespoon at a time. Once the dough is finished, roll it into a ball and seal it in plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours. Once the dough has rested, pinch off a quarter of the dough to work with at a time. Roll the dough very thin. It can certainly be done with a rolling pin and elbow grease but, a pasta roller works great here – starting with the thickest setting and thinning the dough all the way to a #6 thickness. The dough should be rolled as thinly as possible using flour to keep it from sticking. Start heating the oil or shortening in a sauce or frying pan where the oil can be at least 4” deep. Heat the oil to 360° F. While the oil is heating, place the cannoli tubes into the oil for a minute to season them with the oil. Remove the tubes and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, cut out 4” round circles from the rolled out dough. Roll the dough around the cooled cannoli tube. Brush egg white on the part that will overlap to seal the edge. Fry the cannoli a few at a time until golden brown using tongs to turn them over and around – approximately 2 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Use tongs to hold the shell and use paper towels to twist out the tube. Continue rolling and frying. The extra dough can be re-rolled without any problems. This recipe easily makes 36 cannoli shells. The fried and cooled shells can be saved up to 3 days stored in a Tupperware type container.
Growing up in the Northeast, cannoli were the sweet ending to many meals. They were available fresh from every bakery and many people would make their own. Not overly sweet, it is somewhere between a cheese course and dessert. I have a recipe here for the shells, homemade ricotta cheese, the filling and some sauces. It takes some time to make all of the components, but the end result is definitely worth it. Please support your local farmers and use fresh, farm raised ingredients whenever possible. The milk and cream we used was fresh from the farm as well as the strawberries, peaches, herbs, onions and jams. I love to shop at the farmers markets and use fresh, local ingredients. Hope you enjoy! ~Jennifer