Thursday Treat- Cannoli

There is a lot of talk about the generations. The Greatest Generation, Silent Generation, Boomers, Gen-X, Xennials, Millennials, Gen-Z, and the Alpha generations. There’s a vast difference in terms of what it meant to grow up in each, but all the generations have a lot in common.

However, there are some things that have changed drastically, and that has to do with bakeries. The generations born before the 1990s have a unique perspective when it comes to hometown bakeries. We had several fantastic bakeries where I grew up on Long Island. There was a German bakery that specialized in strudel and black forest cakes, a French bakery with baguettes, eclairs, Napoleons, and petit fours, then there was an Italian bakery with an amazing assortment of sesame cookies, biscotti, ricotta cookies, and Florentine lace cookies. One of my favorites was cannoli. A simple crisp cookie filled with luscious ricotta. Whether it was dipped in chocolate chips or not, it was always a perfect bite.

Many of the old bakeries are gone now. Those that are still around have changed owners, and much of what tasted so good, doesn’t taste the same anymore. It’s still good, but not as good as I remember,

Since being in the kitchen is a part of my creative process when I write, I enjoy tackling recipes that stretch my baking chops. It’s taken me some time to perfect my cannoli making, and now I am sharing it here thanks to the website Delish.

Their recipe was straightforward and if you have the opportunity to make it for your family, you won’t regret it. All you need is the molds which can be found at Michaels Craft store, Walmart, or you can order them online. They come in a variety of sizes.

This recipe has been adapted for the following dietary requirements:

• Vegetarian/Vegan
• Gluten-Free
• Low Sugar

I’ve included a recipe to help make vegan ricotta by the Plant Based School

Homemade Cannoli

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FILLING:

1 (16-oz.) container ricotta xc (Vegan tofu ricotta) * If you can’t find it, a recipe is below

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (vegan cream cheese)

1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided (Swerve confectioner’s sugar substitute, organic confectioner’s sugar)

3/4 cup heavy cream (full-fat coconut milk or almond milk)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. orange zest

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, for garnish 

FOR THE SHELLS:

2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1  gluten-free baking blend, sorghum, white rice, or brown rice flour)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit sweetener granulated, raw cane, coconut, or turbinado sugar, pulsed fine)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes (vegan butter)

6 tbsp. white wine

1 large egg (2 tablespoons Aquafaba, ¼ cup silken tofu pureed with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1 flaxseed or chia seed egg, vegan egg replacer)

1 egg white, for brushing (3 tablespoons Aquafaba, 1 tablespoon soy lecithin)

Vegetable oil, for frying 

DIRECTIONS

MAKE FILLING:

 Drain ricotta by placing it a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Let drain in refrigerator for at least an hour and up to overnight. 

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat heavy cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. 

In another large bowl, combine ricotta, mascarpone, remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to fill cannoli, at least 1 hour.

MAKE SHELLS:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut butter into flour mixture with your hands or pastry cutter until pea-sized. Add wine and egg and mix until a dough forms. Knead a few times in bowl to help dough come together. Pat into a flat circle, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight. 

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Roll one half out to ⅛” thick. Use a 4” circle cookie cutter to cut out dough. Repeat with remaining dough. Re-roll scraps to cut a few extra circles. 

Wrap dough around cannoli molds and brush egg whites where the dough will meet to seal together. 

FOR FRYING:

In a large pot over medium heat, heat about 2″ of oil to 360°. Working in batches, add cannoli molds to oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool slightly. 

When cool enough to handle or using a kitchen towel to hold, gently twist shells off of molds to remove. 

Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe filling into shells, then dip ends in mini chocolate chips. 

FOR AIR FRYER:

Working in batches, place molds in basket of air fryer and cook at 350° for 12 minutes, or until golden. 

When cool enough to handle or using a kitchen towel to hold, gently remove twist shells off of molds. 

Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe filling into shells, then dip ends in mini chocolate chips. 

Notes

From The Plant Based School – this ricotta is good for both sweet and savory dishes

Unflavored and unsweetened Soy milk:  4 cups

2 ½ tablespoons of apple cider or

4 tablespoons of lemon juice
First, bring the soy milk to a boil then immediately transfer it to a bowl and quickly add the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir with a spoon for 1 minute and you will see the milk begin to curdle. Now wait for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, place a strainer over a large bowl/pot, then cover it with a piece of cheese cloth or a clean kitchen towel, but one that doesn’t taste like detergent.

After the 10 minutes, pour the curdled soy milk into the strainer, wrap it in the cheese cloth, put a weight on top and let it drain for at least 1 hour. Makes approximately 2 cups of ricotta

I put a bowl full of water over the milk to drain to add a little weight and get a nice firm ricotta within 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Once the milk has been drained the ricotta is ready to be used for both sweet (such as cannoli or pies) and savory (such as lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni) dishes. 

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