Ingredients
Store-bought cannoli shells
For recipe to make home-made cannoli tubes visit:
www.foodnetwork.com and/or www.dessert.betterrecipes.com/grandmascannoli.html
P.S. Cannoli shells are difficult to do and require special equipment
For Italian lemon-flavored "crema pasticcera" ("Crema pasticcera" is generally translated as "cream" or custard")
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 medium-sized lemon (finely grated)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups scalded or hot whole milk
3 to 4 tablespoons flour
Directions
To make Italian lemon-flavored crema pasticcera (cream and/or custard)
1. Separate eggs and beat well.
2. Add lemon zest, vanilla and sugar to the beaten eggs.
3. On moderate heat warm milk up.
4. Remove milk from the stove.
5. Blend the warm milk with the beaten egg mixture, stirring constantly.
6. Preferably place the mixture in a double boiler. Or, of one is not available, place the mixture in a sauce pan.
7. Place the pan with the mixture on moderate heat, and slowly add the flour.
8. Cook until the mixture boils and then reduce the heat.
9. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens, making sure it does not burn (as it can burn easily).
10. Occasionally take the pan off the heat and using an electric blender smoothen out the mixture.
11. Return to heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture has the look of a custard or thick cream, it's ready (This can take anywhere from 10 to 12 minutes.
12. Chill the custard until needed (It will thicken as it chills).
13. About two or three hours before serving the cannoli spoon the thick lemon-flavored custard mixture into a piping bag.
14. Pipe each of the store-bought cannoli shells with the filling, making pretty swirls if desired.
15. Keep the cannoli in the fridge, until ready to give to guests.
16. Dust the cannoli shells with icing sugar [optional].
Notes
Generally speaking "crema pasticcera" is Italian custard or cream. The words, "custard" and "cream" in this case refer to "creama pasticcera" (for recipe see Puddings, Creams or Frostings.)" In North American Italian pastry shops the word "cream" generally refers to "whipping cream." So, if asked by a clerk in an Italian pastry shop, "Do you want this with cream or custard?" This generally means, do you want this pastry with custard [cream] or do you want it with whipping cream? Sadly, more and more North American Italian pastry chefs are decorating their pastries with loads of whipping cream which makes them overly sweet and sticky (And not good at all!). They're Americanizing them, I guess, to please their clients. Too bad. A campaign should be launched to bring back the "traditional" Italian pastries.... Photo: by the contributor. |
