Store-bought tube-shaped cannoli shells

For recipe on how to make home-made cannoli tubes visit:
www.foodnetwork.com and/or www.dessert.betterrecipes.com/grandmascannoli.html


For Tasty Home-Made Orange-Flavored Ricotta

Filling

2 cups ricotta (drained)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk*
3/4 cup semolina flour, finely ground [thickening agent]
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2 teaspoons finely chopped candied orange peel (if available)
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest mixed with 2 tablespoons of sugar


*Water can be substituted

For the orange-flavored ricotta filling:



1. Place the milk in a pan.

2. Add the sugar to the milk.

3. Over moderate heat stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

4. Reduce heat.

5. Add semolina flour slowly, stirring constantly.

6. Add egg yolks, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes a thick heavy paste.

7. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for about five minutes.

8. Add ricotta and mix well.

9. Add vanilla, salt, orange zest mixed with sugar, and cinnamon (if using) and mix well.

10. Place the mixture in a blender (or use an electric mixer) and smoothen out the ricotta filling, making sure there are no lumps.

11. Fold in the candied orange orange peel (if available).

12. Chill until needed.

13. About two to three hours before serving the cannoli spoon the thick ricotta mixture into a piping bag (If one fills the cannoli too long before they are served they run the risk of getting soggy).

13. Using a pastry bag, pipe each of the store-bought cannoli shells with the ricotta filling, making swirls if possible.

14. Keep the cannoli in the fridge until ready to serve.

15. Dust the cannoli shells with icing sugar (optional).

Cannoli originated in Sicily, dating back to the time of Arab domination. Cannoli's tube-shaped shells made of fried pastry dough are generally filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese or Italian custard. They range in size from mini (known as "cannulicchi") to extra large. Some food historians believe cannoli were once thought of as symbols of fertility and may have been served to harems. By the late 19th century cannoli were traditionally prepared in Sicily for the Carnival holidays. When Sicilians immigrated to North America they brought along their beloved desserts. In North America Italians did not celebrate Carnival with the same enthusiasm as they had in their home country, so cannoli did not become associated with this festivity. In the 1950s cannoli were generally served at weddings, baptisms and confirmations. Nowadays no one needs a "reason" to eat a cannoli -- they're eaten whenever the mood strikes. American television shows have popularized cannoli by making constant reference to them. In the T.V. series, "The Sopranos," Tony Soprano, a Mafia kingpin, indicates his love for the Italian dolci. One of the most quoted lines from the movie, "The Godfather," is [Believe it or not]: "Leave the gun, take the cannoli...." Even though Italian cooking is not known for its desserts, cannoli have made a big inroad in the North American market. They're incredibly popular with Italians and non-Italians as well. Making home-made cannoli shells is labor-intensive and frankly not worth the bother. Special equipment is needed and the ingredients are expensive (They require: flour, cocoa powder, butter and Marsala wine). However, now that store-bought cannoli shells are available, many people have started making their own fillings. Some fillings are rather easy to do. The one listed on a store-bought cannoli shell package suggests using: 1 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cinnamon and that's it! However, I tried this recipe and found the filling was so thin, it spilled out of the cannoli shells. Supposedly, one should be able to make a ricotta filling for cannoli without the use of thickening agents, but I wasn't able to do so. Obviously, using "whole milk" ricotta helps, as "light" ricotta is thinner, still I think it's hard to get it right if one doesn't add something or other to thicken the ricotta (But that's only my opinion). The recipe I came up with is an adaptation of a well-known "sfogliatelle ricce" filling. It worked quite well with the cannoli. In fact, some cooks use water rather than milk in the semolina mixture as a thickening agent, but I haven't tried that so I can't say if it's better or worse. In any case, the mixture I used ended up being just the right consistency and was easy to pipe in the cannoli. Actually, I had never used a piping bag, thinking it was too complicated, but it turned out to be simple enough. In any case, there are hundreds of recipes for cannoli on the internet and they're worth studying and finding out which one will work best for you.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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