Name: Crispy Classic Cannoli
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: All-purpose flour 270 g (about 2 cups); Lard 60 g (or shortening); Sugar 100 g (about 1/2 cup); Cinnamon 2 tsp; Salt 2 g (about 1/4 tsp); Sweet red wine 120 ml (about 1/2 cup, or Marsala); Vanilla 1/4 tsp; Ricotta 500 g (drained well); Pistachios 100 g (chopped, for decorating)

The wooden rolling pin rolled right off the edge of the kitchen counter this morning and cracked against the floor. Making classic cannoli at home takes a bit of patience, but hearing that loud clatter reminded me why I love spending a quiet Sunday afternoon with my mixing bowls.

Prep: 45 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: about 1 hour · Serves: 6

How do you keep cannoli shells from getting soggy? You want to fill the shells right before you serve them so they stay crisp.

If you spoon the ricotta filling in too early, the moisture from the dairy makes the pastry soft. I always keep the empty shells in an airtight container and pack a piping bag just as everyone sits down at the table.

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Grab These Ingredients

All-purpose flour 270 g (about 2 cups)
Lard 60 g (or shortening)
Sugar 100 g (about 1/2 cup)
Cinnamon 2 tsp
Salt 2 g (about 1/4 tsp)
Sweet red wine 120 ml (about 1/2 cup, or Marsala)
Vanilla 1/4 tsp
Ricotta 500 g (drained well)
Pistachios 100 g (chopped, for decorating)

A Few Notes on the Ingredients

Getting the ricotta as dry as possible is the single most important step for this filling. I wrap the cheese in a clean kitchen towel and let it sit in a mesh strainer in the fridge for a few hours before mixing.

The lard in the dough gives the pastry its traditional flaky texture, but shortening works just as well if that is what you keep on hand. Do not skip the cinnamon or the sugar in the pastry dough itself, because they build the deep flavor underneath the sweet filling.

Choose a sweet red wine or Marsala that you actually enjoy drinking, since the wine flavor comes through subtly as the pastry cooks. If you use a wine that is too dry, the dough loses its underlying sweetness.

Step-by-Step Directions

Mix the dough. Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, lard, sweet red wine, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until a shaggy dough forms, about 3 minutes.
Knead until smooth. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead it firmly until the surface feels elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Roll very thin. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is paper thin, then cut out round shapes using a round cookie cutter or glass, about 4 inches across.
Wrap the metal tubes. Wrap each round of dough around a metal cannoli form, brushing a little water on the overlapping edge to seal it shut firmly, about 2 minutes.
Fry until blistered. Lower the wrapped tubes into hot oil in a deep skillet and fry until the pastry bubbles up and turns golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Drain and cool. Lift the fried shells out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels before gently sliding out the metal tubes, about 2 minutes.
Fill the shells. Spoon the well-drained ricotta filling into a piping bag and pipe it into both ends of the cooled shells right before eating, about 5 minutes.
Add the pistachios. Dip the exposed ends of the filled pastry into the chopped pistachios until they stick, about 1 minute.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Store your unfilled baked shells in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing the cooked shells or the ricotta filling, because the texture turns watery and loses its crispness.

Keep any leftover ricotta filling sealed separately in the refrigerator for up to two days. Never store assembled pastries in the fridge, or the crisp shell will absorb the moisture from the filling within an hour.

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