A fun cannoli recipe including the cannoli shell recipe.
Cannoli:
Whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.
Make a well in the center, and add the beaten egg and butter.
Use your finger tips to blend the flour mixture with the egg and butter, until all flour is moistened and the mixture is crumbly.
Gradually add the port wine, a little bit at a time, just until a dough forms and sticks together.
Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 20 – 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, divide it into quarters.
Roll one quarter of the dough on a floured surface until it is paper thin.
Use a round cookie cutter (or biscuit cutter) to cut circles of dough.
Repeat the process with the remaining quarters of the dough, until all of the dough has been cut into circles.
Heat the canola oil in a deep, heavy pot until it reaches 350°.
Meanwhile, wrap the cannoli forms with the dough circles, sealing the edges with egg yolk and pressing with your fingertips.
Seal the edges well, or the cannoli will open up when frying.
Once the oil is hot, fry a few shells at a time, being careful not to crowd them in the pot.
Use tongs to turn the cannoli so that they cook evenly. They will need to cook in the oil for about 2 minutes, until they are golden but not burnt.
Use the tongs to transfer the shells to paper towels to cool.
After cooling for a minute, hold the shell lightly with a clean kitchen towel and use your other hand to gently slide the cannoli form out of the shell.
Allow the shell to cool completely, and then store in an airtight container.
The shells can be made up to one week ahead of time.
Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Cover and chill overnight. Pour off any excess moisture that may collect in the bowl before filling the cannoli.
When you are ready to serve the cannoli, prepare a pastry bag with the ricotta filling.
Carefully pipe the filling into the ricotta shells and dip each end of the shell in the mini chocolate chips. Serve immediately.