🇮🇹 Italian · Dessert
🥐 Cannoli Siciliani
Cannoli Siciliani
Crisp, fried pastry tubes from Sicily filled with sweetened ricotta studded with chocolate and candied fruit — a celebratory dessert with roots in the island's Arab-influenced culinary history.
Cannoli shells get their signature crackling crunch from a dough enriched with Marsala wine and fried until deeply golden, traditionally shaped around metal tubes, while the ricotta filling should always be piped in just before serving to preserve that essential contrast between crisp and creamy.
Ingredients
Equipment: Cannoli tubes/molds, Rolling pin or pasta machine, Deep pot for frying, Piping bag
- 300 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 40 g (3 tbsp) cold lard or butter, cubed
- 120 ml (½ cup) Marsala wine
- 1 egg, beaten, for sealing
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 500 g (2 cups) ricotta, drained overnight
- 150 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
- 80 g (½ cup) mini chocolate chips
- 50 g (⅓ cup) candied orange peel, finely chopped (optional)
- Chopped pistachios, for garnish
Method
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt, then work in the cold lard or butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the Marsala gradually and bring the dough together, kneading briefly until smooth. Wrap and rest for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough very thin and cut into circles about 10cm across.
- Wrap each circle around a cannoli tube, sealing the overlapping edge with a little beaten egg.
- Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the shells a few at a time until deeply golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and let cool completely before carefully sliding off the tubes.
- Beat the drained ricotta with the powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips and candied orange peel.
- Pipe the filling into the cooled shells just before serving, and dip the ends in chopped pistachios.
Chef Tips
- Draining the ricotta thoroughly overnight, ideally in a cheesecloth-lined sieve, is essential to avoid a watery, runny filling.
- Fill the shells at the very last moment — filled cannoli lose their signature crunch within an hour or two.
- A candy thermometer for the frying oil makes a real difference in achieving evenly golden, crisp shells.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Filling the shells too far ahead of serving, causing them to turn soggy.
- Using ricotta straight from the tub without draining, resulting in a loose, weeping filling.
- Frying at too low a temperature, leaving the shells greasy rather than crisp.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Ricotta provides protein and calcium, though this remains an indulgent, occasional dessert.
Cultural Note
Cannoli originated in Sicily, with roots tracing back to Arab rule of the island, and have become a fixture of celebrations from Carnevale to weddings across the Sicilian diaspora worldwide.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Unfilled shells keep in an airtight container for up to a week; filling keeps refrigerated for 2 days.
Reheating: Not applicable; cannoli are served at room temperature or chilled, unfilled shells are not reheated.
Serve with: Espresso or a glass of Marsala wine