Name: Crispy Classic Cannoli
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: about 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour; 2 large egg yolks; 1/4 cup (60 g) lard (or shortening); 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp (2 g) salt; 1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet red wine (or Marsala); 1/4 tsp vanilla; 1 large egg white, lightly beaten (for sealing); Vegetable oil for frying; about 2 cups (500 g) ricotta, drained well; 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar; 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp vanilla; Zest of 1 lemon; 3/4 cup (100 g) chopped pistachios

Cannoli shells fried at home come out crispier than anything in a bakery box. The dough uses sweet red wine instead of water, which creates those blistered, bubbly spots when the shells hit the oil.

I let the dough rest in the refrigerator for two hours before I roll it, so the gluten relaxes and the sheet rolls paper thin without snapping back. The ricotta drains in a strainer while the dough rests, so both are ready at the same time.

Fill the shells right before you set them on the table and every one stays crisp.

Prep: 45 minutes · Rest: 2 hours · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: about 3 hours · 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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The Ingredient List

about 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (60 g) lard (or shortening)
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp (2 g) salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet red wine (or Marsala)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (for sealing)
Vegetable oil for frying
about 2 cups (500 g) ricotta, drained well
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup (100 g) chopped pistachios

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.

Making Cannoli, Step by Step

Rub in the fat. Add the flour and lard to a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the lard into the flour until the mixture looks sandy and the lard is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.
Bring the dough together. Add the 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, salt, wine, and 1/4 tsp vanilla to the center of the bowl. Mix from the center outward until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.
Knead until smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead firmly until the surface feels elastic and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
Rest in the refrigerator. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. This rest relaxes the gluten so the sheet rolls paper thin without snapping back.
Make the filling. While the dough rests, press the drained ricotta through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and lemon zest. Whip together until smooth and thick, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll and cut. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a well-floured surface to about 1 to 1.5 mm thick, until you can just see the surface through the sheet. Cut out rounds using a large cookie cutter or glass, about 4 inches across.
Wrap the tubes. Roll each round gently into an oval shape. Wrap each oval around a metal cannoli tube, brushing egg white on the overlapping edge to seal it firmly shut. Wrap loosely enough to allow for expansion in the oil.
Fry until blistered. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot to 356°F (180°C). Carefully lower the wrapped tubes into the oil a few at a time, avoiding crowding, and fry until the shells blister and turn golden and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes.
Drain and cool. Lift the fried shells out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels. Once completely cool, gently slide out the metal tubes.
Fill right before serving. Spoon the ricotta filling into a piping bag and pipe it into both ends of each shell right before eating, about 5 minutes.
Top with pistachios. Dip the exposed ends of each filled shell into the chopped pistachios until coated, 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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