Fresh Pistachio-Filled Cannoli
Feast your eyes, take a bite, and bask in the creamy crunchy goodness.
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As chefs, one of the ways we show love is through food, just like so many of you! I can think of a bazillion food-centered ways to show love but one of the best ways is with a homemade cannoli. A scratch-made cannoli pasty filled with freshly prepared creamy filling is one of the sweetest ways to show love. It’s easy to purchase premade cannoli cones, even the cannoli themselves. I’m telling you, make this. It’s worth the effort!
Homemade cannoli is a bit of a process, though not too complicated. The unlisted ingredients here are just a little bit of patience and love! First, make the cannoli dough because it needs an hour or two in the refrigerator. Traditionally, the dough is made with Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier has a bitter and sweet orange and vanilla flavor that is delightful; however, the Grand Mariner can be replaced with an equal amount of water. I recommend the traditional method; there’s no alternative to the flavor of Grand Marnier!
A cannoli isn’t a cannoli without a creamy filling. Ricotta is the base of the filling and there’s one specialty ingredient, pistachio cream. These two balance each other so you’re tasting pistachio but not overwhelmed by the flavor. The filling ingredients are mixed and transferred into a pastry bag with a star tip and refrigerated until the cannoli cones are ready to be filled.
Time-saving tip: make the cannoli dough and the filling at the same time! It streamlines the process so when you’re ready to fry the cannoli cones, the filling is ready to go.
Once the cannoli are fried and the filling is filled…time to garnish. Powdered sugar, shards of dark chocolate, and chopped sweet and nutty pistachio bits are going to make these look elegant and polished. Oh, my heavens! Just look at these beauties. Feast your eyes, take a bite, and bask in the creamy crunchy goodness that is a Fresh Pistachio-Filled Cannoli. What better way to show love than with a lovely sweet treat?
Fresh Pistachio-Filled Cannoli are from An Evening in Milan at Table for 12. It’s served with Kale Caesar Salad, Crispy Chicken Milanese, and Paccheri Alla Vittorio.
Fresh Pistachio-Filled Cannoli
For dough:
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water)
- 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Filling:
- 3 1/2 cups ricotta
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped & toasted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup pistachio cream
Preparation
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.
- Add cold butter into the flour mixture and cut the butter in using your thumb and index finger until the butter resembles small pea sized pieces.
- Add the egg, Grand Marnier, and apple cider vinegar and combine until a dough is formed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours.
- Preheat a wide pot of vegetable oil with a thermometer attached to 350 °F.
- Place chilled dough on a floured bench, moving the dough constantly, using flour to keep dough and surface dry. Roll until the dough is very thin. You should be able to see your hand shadow if you put your hand under the dough.
- Using a large biscuit cutter, press large circles in the dough, then roll each circle into the size of a taco-sized tortilla and wrap those circles around a cannoli tube.
- Before sealing each cannoli, brush edges with egg wash at the end to ensure the cannoli is sealed. Repeat for all cannolis and place on a sheet tray ready to fry.
- Make cannoli filling by whisking all ingredients in a bowl. Place in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and refrigerate until ready.
- Fry each cannoli for 1 - 2 minutes. Set aside to drain on a wire rack.
- Fill the cannoli with cream. Sprinkle dark chocolate shavings and toasted pistachio bits on each end of the cannoli. Refrigerate on the wire rack until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
This recipe is from An Evening in Milan at Table for 12.
