Cannoli Recipe

Make Dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in mascarpone/ricotta (2 tbsp), egg yolk, vanilla and wine until a shaggy dough forms. If dough is dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time just until it comes together. Do not overwork.

Rest and Chill

Turn dough into a ball, flatten to a disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). Chilling relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

Roll and Shape

Divide chilled dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece very thin (about 1/16-inch / 1.5 mm). Using a 4-inch round cutter or template, cut rounds. Wrap each round around a cannoli tube (metal or oven-safe tube), sealing the edge with a little beaten egg white or water; press gently to close. Repeat until all rounds are formed. If dough tears, re-roll scraps once.

Fry Shells

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry cannoli shells in batches, turning once, until deep golden and crisp, about 1 to 1.5 minutes per side. Use tongs to hold tubes while frying to keep shells from opening. Remove and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, carefully slide shells off the tubes. Let shells cool completely (at least 15 minutes) so they remain crisp.

Prepare Ricotta

Place ricotta in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and press/let drain for 30–60 minutes, or line sieve with cheesecloth and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Well-drained ricotta prevents a runny filling.

Make Filling

In a bowl, combine drained ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. For a lighter, whipped filling, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the sweetened ricotta. Taste and adjust sugar or salt as desired. Chill filling in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm slightly.

Fold the mini chocolate chips and orange zest (if using) into half of the prepared ricotta base until evenly distributed. Transfer chocolate-chip filling to a piping bag or bowl. Keep chilled until ready to fill shells.

Stir pistachio paste or ground pistachios into the other half of the ricotta base to intensify flavor and add a pale green tint. Fold in the finely chopped pistachios, reserving a few tablespoons for finishing the ends. Transfer pistachio filling to a piping bag or bowl and keep chilled.

Fill Shells

Just before serving (to keep shells crisp), remove fillings from refrigerator. Pipe or spoon fillings into both ends of each shell, filling about 2/3 full. Do not overfill or shells may crack.

Finish

For chocolate-chip cannoli: dip or drizzle each filled end into melted chocolate or spoon melted chocolate onto the ends, then optionally dust with powdered sugar. For pistachio cannoli: gently press reserved chopped pistachios into the ends, then dust lightly with powdered sugar. Place assembled cannoli on a rack and serve within 2 hours for best texture (shells will soften if left too long).

Storage

Unfilled shells stored in an airtight container at room temperature stay crisp for 2–3 days. Fillings keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Once filled, cannoli are best eaten within 2–6 hours.