The taste of real canoli is something you will never forget.
The first time I was permitted to be in the kitchen while the aunts and my mother made canoli was an occasion to remember. I knew it was important, and I couldn’t wait to help at 12 years old – finally. Making them from scratch with a real Italian recipe, is something to be treasured.
CANOLI SHELLS:
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder until well mixed.
Work in the 2 tablespoons of soft shortening (either Crisco or Spry). Add in the 1/2 cups of wine a little at a time and knead the dough until it is smooth.
Pull a small piece of the dough a size of a nickel and roll it out very thin and wrap it loosely around a canoli tube, overlapping the opposite ends on the top of the tube and pinch the ends together.
In a large 4-quart pot, boil Spry or Crisco shortening. Drop the canoli on the tube into the pot and remove carefully with tongs when the shell is lightly browned and place it on paper towels to cool.
Once cool, remove the tubes from the shells by pushing them gently through so that they don’t break. Let them cool completely before filling.
The canoli shells can be kept indefinitely frozen and filled as needed.
CANOLI FILLING:
On the stove in a 2-quart pot, bring the 2 1/2 cups of milk to boil over a low heat.
In a separate bowl, mix the 8 tablespoons of corn starch and 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Add slowly to the boiling milk and allow to cook for around 30 minutes.
Let the mixture cool.
Beat in a separate bowl the 3 pounds of ricotta cheese until creamy, and then add the cooled mixture adding the 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of semi-sweet ground chocolate and beat it until it is light and fluffy.
Fill the pastry shells from both ends, topping with your choice of ground pistachio nuts or mini chocolate chips.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Italian Canoli Shells and Filling
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- CANOLI SHELLS
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Spry or Crisco Shortening
- 1/2 cup wine
- --------------
- CANOLI FILLING
- 3 pounds ricotta cheese
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 8 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon semi-sweet chocolate chips ground
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- pistachio nuts ground or mini chocolate chips
Method
CANOLI SHELLS:
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder until well mixed.
- Work in the 2 tablespoons of soft shortening (either Crisco or Spry). Add in the 1/2 cups of wine a little at a time and knead the dough until it is smooth.
- Pull a small piece of the dough a sice of a nickel and roll it out very thin and wrap it loosely around a canoli tube, overlapping the opposite ends on the top of the tube and pinch the ends together.
- In a large 4 quart pot, boil Spry or Crisco shortning. Drop the canoli on the tube into the pot and remove carefully with tongs when the shell is lightly browned and place it on paper towels to cool.
- Once cool, remove the tubes from the shells by pushing them gently through so that they don't break. Let them cool completely before filling.
- The canoli shells can be kept indefininetly frozen and filled as needed.
CANOLI FILLING:
- On the stove in a 2 quart pot, bring the 2 1/2 cups of milk to boil over a low heat.
- In a separate bowl, mix the 8 table spoons of corn starch and 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Add slowly to the boiling milk and allow to cook for around 30 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool.
- Beat in a separate bowl the 3 pounds of ricotta cheese until creamy, and then add the cooled mixture adding the 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of semi-sweet ground chocolate and beat it until it is light and fluffy.
- Fill the pastry shells from both ends, topping with your choice of ground pistachio nuts or mini chocolate chips.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
