Mini Cannoli Recipe

Make dough

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour with fingertips (or pulse briefly in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine the white wine, milk, egg yolk, vanilla and cold water in a small bowl. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and mix until it just comes together into a firm dough. If too dry add up to 1 tsp more water. Do not overwork.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring together into a smooth ball. Flatten to a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Roll and cut

On a lightly floured surface roll the chilled dough as thin as possible (1/16 inch). Using a 3½ inch round cutter (or a small bowl), cut circles. Re-roll scraps as needed.

Wrap each circle around a lightly oiled mini cannoli form, sealing edge with a little water or beaten egg white to stick. Press edges to seal and remove excess dough so ends are even.

Fry shells

In a heavy pot or deep fryer heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry 2–3 shells at a time, turning, until golden brown, about 1–1½ minutes per side. Do not overcrowd. Using tongs, transfer shells (on forms) to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Once cool enough to handle, carefully slide shells off forms and let cool completely on rack.

Optional: dust shells with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar before filling, or after filling for presentation.

Prepare ricotta

Place ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and press or let drain for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture (this prevents a soggy filling). If using already thick ricotta, you can skip long draining and simply blot with paper towels.

In a medium bowl whisk drained ricotta with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. If you want a lighter texture, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it in gently.

Fold in mini chocolate chips and orange zest (if using). Taste and adjust sweetness with a little more powdered sugar if desired. Chill filling for at least 15 minutes to firm slightly for piping.

Just before serving, transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or use a zip-top bag with corner snipped). Pipe filling into each shell from both ends until slightly overflowing for the classic look. Dip the ends of each filled mini cannoli into additional mini chips or chopped pistachios as desired. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Prepare chocolate filling

In a bowl whisk together mascarpone, cocoa powder and powdered sugar until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, whisk in heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a pipeable but spreadable consistency.

Fold in mini chocolate chips if desired. Chill for 10–15 minutes to firm slightly for easier piping.

Fill shells as described for ricotta: pipe from both ends until a small amount of filling is visible in the middle. Finish ends with pistachios or mini chips and dust with powdered sugar.

Arrange filled mini cannoli on a platter. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on ends where filling is exposed and scatter a few extra mini chips on top if you like.

For best texture serve within 1–2 hours of filling. If you must hold them longer, store unfilled shells and filling separately in airtight containers (shells at room temperature, filling refrigerated) and assemble just before serving.