Making cannoli cream is definitely the easier part of making cannoli. You can go all in and make the cannoli shells from scratch or you can buy some pre-made cannoli shells. You can also serve a deconstructed cannoli by making “chips” using our cannoli shell dough recipe, or you can break apart some waffle cones and use those.
Just a note about the ricotta cheese in this recipe. It’s pretty easy to make from scratch (click here for the recipe), which has a much creamier texture, or I would use the Galbani whole milk brand from the store. I’ve found any other brand to have a grainy texture in the filling.
To make the cream, combine the ricotta cheese, mascarpone, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Whip the cream (you can sweeten this if you prefer a sweeter dessert). Add the chocolate chips and whipped cream to the cheese mixture and fold it in.
Using a pastry bag, pipe the filling into the cannoli shells and dip the ends in mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios.
The cannoli shells will soften up as the cream sits in them. To avoid a soggy shell, fill them within 1-2 hours of serving.
Cannoli Cream
From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas
Serves: 25-30
Prep Time: 15-30 minutes
Cook Time: NA
INGREDIENTS:
15 ounces whole milk ricotta (Galbani Brand is the smoothest or try homemade)
8 ounces mascarpone, softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipped cream
½ cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish
Crushed pistachios for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine the ricotta cheese, mascarpone, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream and the chocolate chips into the filling. Pipe into the cannoli shells and dip the ends into mini chocolate chips or crushed pistachios. Serve within 1-2 hours of filing
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know what a cannoli was until about 4 years ago when my husband went on a business trip to Boston. While there, he had a little time to explore the popular tourist sites in Boston and stopped by Mike’s Pastry, a couple of times. He brought me home a cannoli, which admittedly is never as good when it’s a day old, but I was still hooked on the tasty dessert.
Mikes Pastry, Boston
After that, we discovered several bakeries in Detroit that serve really delicious cannoli and we were hooked. Whenever traveling, I always look to see if there is a good cannoli shop nearby.
Il Pirata Delle Cinque TerreMike’s Pastry, bBostonFerrara Bakery & Cafe, Little Italy, NYC
Feeling the craving yet? Unfortunately, Twin Falls, Idaho is not home to a cannoli shop. There are a couple of local restaurants that serve them, but, they are not quite the same. So….in true Hymas Family Favorites tradition, we learned how to make our own.
Start by making the dough.
Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on slow. Add the vinegar and mix until combined. Next, add the shortening. Finally, add the egg to the water, whisk, and add to the dough. Mix until combined, and then knead it for about 1 minute. The dough should be soft. Form it into a disk, wrap in saran wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Next, take a generous piece of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin.
The goal is to get to 1/16 of an inch. The easiest way to do that is with a pasta roller. I start on the widest setting (1) and step it down to a 3.
Now cut the dough with a round 3-4 inch biscuit cutter.
Pre-oil the cannoli forms and wrap the dough around the form. Dampen one edge of the dough with a wet finger and seal the dough around the form. Don’t wrap it too tightly or t will be difficult to remove after it’s finished frying. If you don’t have the forms, you can cut the dough into “chips” and serve it with cannoli cream as a deconstructed cannoli.
Put the dough on the forms into a deep fryer with the oil heated to 375 degrees. You can do this in a heavy pan on the stove top and use a thermometer, or you can use a deep fryer. I LOVE my deep fryer because it really helps to contain the mess, makes it easy to filter and contain the oil, and maintains the oil temperature for me.
The shells will need to cook for 2-4 minutes until golden brown. I start turning the shells almost immediately to minimize any hot spots. You can also turn them half way through the cooking process. When they are finished cooking, pull them out and allow them to drain for a minute. Again, the basket on the deep fryer makes this a much easier step. After they are done draining, turn them onto some paper towels to help soak up the grease.
You’ll need to get them off the forms fairly quickly. They slide off much easier when they are hot, and depending on how many forms you have, you’ll need them for the next batch. I have a total of 12 which seems to be a good number to keep the process moving while allowing time for the forms to cool off enough between batches.
They key to this is using a thin flour sack type towel. I use one end to hold the form and the other end to grab the shell and pull it off. Be careful not to burn yourself. I recommend watching the video to see the technique for this. It’s not hard, but easier to visualize than to read about how to do it.
Let the shells cool completely before filling. Here is a recipe link for the filling.
Cannoli Shells
From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas
Serves: 30
Prep Time: 2-3 hours
Cook Time: 2-4 minutes per batch (12-24 minutes total)
INGREDIENTS:
3 ½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour (450+ grams)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
1 egg yolk
1 cup water
¼ cup white vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt to stand mixer with paddle attachment on slow. Add the vinegar and mix. Add the shortening. Mix the egg yolk and water together then add to the dough, which should be soft.
Knead the dough for about 1 minute and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll into a sheet 1/16” (pasta roller stepped down from 1 to 3). Cut into a 3-4” circle and then wrap around a pre-oiled cannoli form. Dampen one edge with water using your finger to seal the dough.
Heat the oil to 375°F and starting with the sealed side down cook each cannoli shell for 2-4 minutes until golden brown, turning occasionally throughout the cooking time.
Using a thin towel, remove the cannoli from the forms immediately and allow to cool completely. Cannoli shells may be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 1-2 months. Makes 30 shells.
This spring, my husband and I participated in a fitness challenge. I will post all about it in a later post, but it was both effective and hard. One of the rules was no refined sugar, so we were always looking for healthier foods that fit that criteria.
One weekend, we went camping with Aunt Sue and Uncle Andy. Aunt Sue is so good at eating healthy, and let us try her granola. It is sweetened with honey and is chuck full of healthy grains. It also happens to taste really good. So, I thought I’d share the recipe with all of you!
Aunt Sue’s Granola
From the Hymas Family Favorites
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 15 min
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups quick oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup chopped and roasted almonds
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ cup craisens
¼ cup ground chia seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil
1 cup honey
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oats, Rice Krispies, flax seed, almonds, coconut, craisens, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix together until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Drizzle the coconut oil over top and stir. Heat the honey in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and drizzle over the granola. Thoroughly combine. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide the granola onto both and bake them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. It will harden into a sheet as it cools. You can continue to stir occasionally while it cools if you prefer a very flakey texture, or you can break it into chunks after it cools if you prefer it that way.
Tips: You can usually find these ingredients in bulk from your local grocery store that carries bulk items. Grinding the flax and chia seeds in the blender will help keep them from getting caught in your teeth. You can also roast your almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then chop them up. You can also store the ingredients in air tight containers or in the freezer.
Hymas Family Favorites 