The Classic Cannoli

With Fortunato Conte

Pastry Chef Fortunato Conte will show you how to make Cannolo Siciliano from scratch. What exactly is cannoli? Cannoli are a deep fryed shell filled with a cream type filling. They originated in the Palermo area of Sicily and are thought to have only been served during Carnevale time around Lent. Now they have been adopted as one of the typical and quintessential Italian desserts both in Italy and in the United States.

Originally they included mascarpone cheese but the ones you buy today, like this one here, often use ricotta, which is an acceptable substitute. Here is how it is done.

First you make the dough for the cannoli shells, which is a simple combination of flour, butter, eggs, sugar and a little white or red wine vinegar. After making the dough, make three equal parts and spread it out into sheets with a mixer attachment or with a rolling pin. Note: Remove the flour from the sheets because it will burn when frying the cannoli shells. Cut into diamond shape pieces with a pastry cutter.

Now, using a cannoli form, wet the dough’s edges with a little (very little) egg wash and roll into the cannoli shape, using one cannoli form per shell. Drop the form with the shell on it into 350 degree F. oil for about 1 ½ minutes until cooked to a golden brown. Remove form and now cooked cannoli shell with tongs and carefully remove shell onto paper towels to absorb all of the excess oil.

This cannoli uses two types of chocolate, a sweeter one for coating the ends of the shell and semi-sweet bits that go onto the cream as a garnish. While the chocolate is melting, make the filling that consists of ricotta and sugar. Be sure to not over mix the sugar into the ricotta as it may make it watery.

Dip the shell ends into the melted chocolate and fill with a piping bag. You can finish half of the cannoli with chocolate bits on the ends and the other half with pieces of orange candy.

One tip is to be sure that you fill the cannoli right before serving so that the filling does not seep into the shells and make them soggy.

Ingredients

For the cannoli shell crust:
1 and 3/4 cup flour (double zero flour recommended)
2 tablespoons soft butter
3 eggs
2 and 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon white or red wine vinegar
8 ounces dipping chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 to 4 oz chopped candied orange


For the ricotta cheese mix:
1and 1/2 lb ricotta cheese.
4 and 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

Instructions

For the cannoli shell crust:
1. Mix the flour, butter, eggs, sugar and a little white or red wine vinegar in a stand mixer.
2. After making the dough, make three equal parts and spread it out into sheets with a mixer attachment or with a roller.
3. Remove the flour because it will burn when frying the cannoli shells. Cut into diamond shape pieces with a pastry cutter.
4. Using a cannoli form, wet the dough’s edges with a little (very little) egg wash and roll into the cannoli shape, using one cannoli form per shell.
5. Drop the form with the shell on it into 350 degree F. oil for about 1 ½ minutes until cooked to a golden brown. Remove form and now cooked cannoli shell with tongs and carefully remove shell onto paper towels to absorb all of the excess oil.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and dip each end of the cannoli shell into the chocolate for about an inch.

For the filling:
1. Combine ricotta and sugar until blended but do not over mix, since this will make the filling too watery.
2. Put the filling into a piping bag and fill the inside of the shells.

For a final garnish, add a candied orange to half the cannoli and the chocolate bits to the other half.

Recipe courtesy of Fortunato Conte, Pastry Chef, Restaurant Dante and Il Casale, 2011.

Fortunato was born in Salerno Italy, just 30 minutes south of Naples. He began working as a baker In1992 for the Pasticceria Pantaleone, one of the oldest Pastry Shoppes in Italy. (A pasticceria is a cake shop, where they have small tables, espresso coffee, tea and freshly baked pastry.) After one year he decided to move on and work for several other pasticcerie in his home town, mastering all of the traditional and regional desserts, including savory items such as filled canastas, focaccia breads, and canapés.

Fortunato went to work for three months in the town of Courmayeur, Northern Italy, as an assistant pastry chef for the Grand Hotel Royal and Golf. It was here, working with master baker Paul Castriscer from Switzerland, where Fortunato realized that there was much more to know about desserts than just regional and classic pastries.

In 1999 he came to Boston and began his adventure working at Il Panino at Franklin Street for Frank De Pasquale. He then managed Biscotti bakery in the North End of Boston for about nine months. In 2001 he went to work for Modern Pastry Shoppe, also in the North End, and remained there until 2008. Fortunato continued his study of pastry baking as a student of the World Pastry Forum in Nashville, TN. He also took several classes with world pastry champions. He continued studying with the New England French master baker at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

Fortunato now makes desserts for two well regarded Italian restaurants in the Boston area, Il Casale in Belmont and Dante’s in Cambridge. Working with a Chef/Owner like Dante De Magistris forces him to improve in order to meet the demand for high-quality Italian desserts.