This is my favorite dessert. I guess that's because we have the amazing Mike's Pastry at North end in Boston, which I believe is heaven for Cannoli lovers
Holi is right around the corner, and I wanted to give an Indian twist to these Italian beauties! So sticking with the traditional ricotta cheese filling, I added some cardamom and saffron to it, and the result tasted just like Shrikhand!! So creamy and sweet and pretty!!
I personally don't like the cardamom flavoring. I think if not used correctly, it can result into a very artificial and soapy taste, so using it bit by bit, and tasting it all along the way helps. A little bit goes a long way. Saffron is used avidly with cardamom in almost all of the Indian desserts and so it was sort of obvious to use some saffron. The earthy sweetness from saffron helps to balance the strong smell and taste of the cardamom.
Now coming to the cannoli shell, so I definitely needed some help on these, and Binging with Babish's viral video on cannoli shells was my savior. That is one fool-proof solid recipe!!
The Cannoli shells need two very special ingredient - Sweet Marsala Wine and White Wine Vinegar. The vinegar and the wine account for the tangy flavor of the shells and also ensure the bubbles on the shells, when we fry them. For my Indian friends - The cannoli shells smell, taste and look a lot like gujiya shells. So try making this, with some traditional gujiya fillings!! It'll be amazing trust me!
You definitely will need some cannoli shells, and here is the one I use.
I have used cinnamon and cocoa powder in the shells, hence they are a little dark and also taste a little too much of the cinnamon, but you can skip both of these, if you're not a fan.
Ok so let's start making this
Step 1 : Gather your ingredients
For the filling
Ricotta Cheese - 32 oz
Mascarpone Cream Cheese - 8 oz
Powdered Sugar - 100 gm
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron - 1 tsp
For the shells
All Purpose Flour - 250 gm
Powdered Sugar - 30 gm
Cocoa Powder - 2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1 and a 1/2 tsp
Espresso Powder - 1/2 tsp
Marsala Wine - 30 ml
White Wine Vinegar - 30 ml. I used Cantine Florio's Marsala Wine
Butter - 2 tbsp
Egg - 1
Step 2 : On the night before, put the ricotta cheese on a sieve, with a container under it, and put this in the fridge. This will drain the excess water from the ricotta. If you don't have time, then drain this ricotta for at least 2 hours, or for as long as you can. This will ensure the creaminess of the filling, without it being too watery.
Step 3 : In a food processor jar add - flour, sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder and espresso powder. Pulse this to combine.
Step 4 : Now add wine and vinegar in to the processor.
Step 5 : Once all is mixed, add butter and one whole egg, and mix this for 45 seconds. After 45 seconds, everything will come together in the form of a dough.
Step 6 : Now lightly flour a surface and knead the dough for 2-5 minutes, until it becomes smooth. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Step 7 : Now grease the cannoli molds in any oil you like.
Step 8 : Now while the dough is resting, take out the ricotta cheese from the fridge. You will see how much water it has drained out. Put in a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and mix this until it's nice and silky.
Step 9 : Take the Mascarpone cream, and add the saffron to it, mix it in. Then dump it in the mixing bowl with the ricotta cheese. Mix it in.
Step 10 : Now transfer this into a piping bag with a medium sized star nozzle attached to it.
Step 11 : Now after one hour is over, take out the dough from the fridge and roll it very very thin.
Step 12 : Using a 4 inch cookie cutter, cut cannoli rounds, and quickly cover these rounds with a plastic wrap.
Step 13 : Now put these rounds on the molds, like so. Sealing them with the egg wash.
Make sure you roll over the non egg wash side first on the mold, and then place the egg wash side on top of this. If the egg wash touches the mold, it'll stick the dough with the mold, and you'll have a hard time getting cannoli out of the mold.
Step 14 : In a pan with oil, that's at 390 F, fry these, and you'll start seeing bubbles on them. Once they are golden brown, take them out and let them strain on a wire rack. Once cold, gently remove the molds, by pinching the molds.
Step 15 : Once the shells are cooled down, fill them in, and serve and eat. Now if you're making this a day ahead, then don't fill them. Fill them right before serving, or else the shell will get soggy.
Voila
These look fantastic! I love the detailed pictures! - Harmony