Italian Custard Cream Filled Cannolis Recipe

How to make Italian custard cream and cannoli shells.

Ingredients

Custard Cream
2 cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
½ stick vanilla
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
lemon peel from 1/4 of a lemon
Shells:
3-½ inch round cutter
3 cups of flour
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoon of granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoon of firm butter cut into small cubes
¼ cup of a good Marsala wine
1-2 egg whites, whisked slightly
Icing sugar (for dusting)

Directions

For the custard cream filling:

In a large pot mix together milk, 1/2 of the vanilla bean and the peel of 1 lemon. *Be sure there is no white skin left on the peel, which adds a bitter taste.

Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil

Meanwhile, pour the egg yolks and sugar into a small bowl, and whisk together until the color begins to lighten

Sift flour and then mix into eggs until all lumps are gone.

When milk has come to a boil, remove the vanilla and lemon peel, and slowly pour about 1/4 cup of hot milk into egg and flour mixture. Mix well.

Transfer the egg mixture back into the pot of milk, stirring thoroughly.

Bring to a boil again for a couple of minutes.

Allow cream to cool entirely before piping.

For the shells:

Sift the flour, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar.

Then mix in the butter and eggs with a fork.

Slowly add in the Marsala wine until the dough comes together.

Form it into a large ball and let it rise for 15 minutes.

Dust a cutting board with flour.

Roll out the dough until it is ¼ of an inch thick.

Roll out this dough and fold it into the shape of a cannoli shell. *You can also use cannoli forms to make this easier.

You then use the egg whites as a glue to hold the shell together.

Have about 3 cups of oil slightly boiling at 350 degrees.

Fry the shells one at a time for about one minute.

Then lightly remove them using tongs and let them sit.

Once the shells are prepared, you can begin to fill them.

Add custard cream into a piping bag and squeeze the filling into your shells.

Optional: Arrange cannolis on a plate and dust with icing sugar.