{The BEST} Homemade Cannoli Recipe - Self Proclaimed Foodie (2024)

FAQs

What makes a good cannoli? ›

The most important thing about cannoli, since it's a deep-fried pastry, is the oil itself—an ingredient most recipes leave to chance as if any old oil will do. Nothing could be further from the truth; for cannoli, choosing the right oil is just as important as choosing the best ricotta.

Cannoli is traditionally made with ricotta, but some people prefer mascarpone. It simply depends on your personal preference.

THE BEST RICOTTA CHEESE:

A huge component of this Homemade Cannoli Cream is, of course, the delicious Galbani® Ricotta Cheese. This rich and creamy cheese can be found in your local market's dairy aisle and is the perfect cheese to use for a delicious and rich cannoli cream.

There are a few things you can do to keep your cannolis crisp. First, make sure they're well wrapped - either in plastic wrap or in a tightly sealed container. Second, if possible, store them in the fridge rather than at room temperature. And third, don't wait too long to eat them!

A cannoli is a tube-shaped Italian dessert that consists of fried pastry dough stuffed with a sweet, creamy cheese filling. The crispy pastry shell is made with the usual suspects: flour, sugar, whole eggs, and butter. It's usually spiked with marsala, a fortified wine that adds distinct flavor and sweetness.

Cannoli filling is made with ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and lemon zest or orange zest. Additions to the creamy filling include dried fruit or small pieces of dark chocolate (mini chocolate chips). The shell can be garnished with melted chocolate, and the cannoli cream sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

Your cannoli cream is a runny mess. My recommendation at this point is to add about ¼ to ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and an additional 1 - 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until it thickens up. It will fill more cannoli shells but will save you tossing the soupy filling out.

I have discovered one way to keep them crisp in the fridge for at least a day and a half to two days... I wrap each cannoli separately by rolling them in wax paper, then fold over each end and tape it (try to tape it so that air will not get to it). Then take each and roll them up in aluminum foil.

I've found that the number one reason why cannoli filling isn't thick is that the ricotta cheese wasn't drained. This one simple step is SO important if you want a thick filling! And it's so easy to do! To drain the ricotta, you simply line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth and place it over a bowl.

Do not fill the cannoli until just before serving, otherwise your shells will become soggy and not crisp. Store the cannoli shells in a paper towel lined tupperware container at room temperature. The filling will store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

What is the difference between Italian and American cannoli? ›

Chief among them is the type of milk used for each. The Italian version makes use of sheep's milk, while Italian-American cannoli employs cow's milk (leading to significant distinctions in taste and consistency).

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

A sour smell coming from the ricotta or the taste of stale oil from the shell is a sign that the cannoli needs to be discarded. And of course, evolving microbial colonies such as mold are definitive signs that the cannoli has gone bad.

Unfilled cannoli shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Filled cannoli shells can be refrigerated, but will quickly become soggy. So try to eat them as soon as possible.

In short, the main reason Cannoli Dip is runny is skipping or shortcutting the process of straining the ricotta cheese.

Cannolis are crunchy, or at least they should be. The secret is to fry the shells but not fill them until the time of sale. I keep the cannolis cream in a refrigerated pastry bag, filling the shells only when the customer is present to take them home. The cream is wet and will make the shells soggy in no time at all.

Here are a few distinctions: The Venetian shell is in a cylinder shape while the Sicilian shell looks like a bow tie wrap. While the Sicilian dough is deep-fried, the Venetian dough is baked. The traditional Venetian filling is made of heavy cream cheese mixed with vanilla bean.

The cannoli shells are perfectly tender and flaky, like a flake away in your mouth kind of texture. The ricotta cannoli filling is rich and deliciously sweetened, and those little flecks of mini dark chocolate chips swirled throughout just amp up that already immensely satisfying flavor.