Cannolis - That Sicilian Treat

Sicily is known for a lot of things: its ancient culture, its; beautiful beaches and of course its variety of foods, including pastries. The last has a srtandout universally loved by everyone. This is the cannoli, a crisp fried tube filled with a creamy ricotta mix. There have been variations on the recipe but the original one is the best.

Cannoli which is the plural started in Palermo during the Carnevale season leading up to lent. The tubes were representative of fertility and possibly first served a the harem of Caltisenetta indicating an Arab influence, The shells themselves are made from butter flour, vegetable oil and sometimes a dash of cinnamon for added flavor and color. These are then fried in hot oil and left to drain on paper towels. The filling traditionally is a blend of ricotta or marscapone cheese, and confectioner‘s sugar blended to a creamy consistency. Chocolate chip are added as are citron and candied cherries to give it color and taste. Once the cannoli are filled the ends can be dusted with chopped green pistachios. The cannoli should be eaten when the shell is crispy and fresh otherwise the filling will sog up the pastry.

There are some variations to it. Fro one you can buy premade cannoli shells which does save a lot of time and trouble. I’ve bought these and found they were OK. I also vary mine with filling them with pudding and ice cream for a different spin. Some New York bakers do their own thing, such as dipping the shells in dark chocolate or adding unusual flavors such as root beer and peanut butter and jelly to the fillings. The best cannolis , though are the traditional ones with little or no change to the original recipe.

Cannolis are a wonderful treat, They offer both a crispy crunch and a soft sweet filling. They’re a wonderful dessert with a cup of hot steamy espresso, especially now during the fall.