Cannoli siciliani
Sicily's fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta, chocolate and candied orange, filled just before serving.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 12 hr
- Total
- 13 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- A bit of work
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
A real cannolo is two things that meet at the last moment: a crisp, blistered shell of fried dough and a cream of sheep's-milk ricotta, sugar, chocolate and candied fruit. The shell dough is flour with a little lard, sugar, cocoa and Marsala or wine vinegar, which makes it bubble as it fries. The ricotta must be well drained, then sieved smooth and sweetened; there is no mascarpone, whipped cream or custard in the Sicilian filling. Fill the shells just before serving, or they soften. Decorate the ends with chopped pistachios or candied orange and dust with icing sugar. Done is a shell that shatters when you bite it and a cool, rich, not-too-sweet cream.
What you'll need
14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Filling
- Shells
Ingredients
Filling
- Ricotta, sheep's milk, drained overnight750 g
- Icing sugar, plus extra to dust150 g
- Candied peel, orange, diced, plus strips to decorate60 g
- Pistachios, chopped, to decorate (optional)40 g
Shells
- Wheat flour250 g
- Lard, or butter, soft30 g
- Sugar25 g
- Cocoa powder4.9 ml
- Marsala80 ml
- Egg, yolk in the dough, white to seal1 large
- White wine vinegar15 ml
- Neutral oil, or lard, for frying1½ l
- Salt1 pinch
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
The day before, drain the ricotta in a sieve lined with muslin in the fridge overnight.
5 min
Step 2
Make the shell dough: mix flour, sugar, cocoa and salt, rub in the lard, then add the egg yolk, Marsala and vinegar and knead until smooth and firm. Wrap and rest 1 hour.
70 min
Step 3
Roll the dough very thin, cut into 10 cm circles and wrap each loosely round a cannoli tube, sealing the overlap with egg white and flaring the ends.
25 min
Step 4
Fry a few at a time at 175°C until blistered and deep golden, 1–2 minutes. Drain, cool slightly and slide off the tubes.
20 min175°C
Watch: The metal tubes get very hot; use tongs.
Step 5
Sieve the ricotta, beat in the icing sugar, then fold in the chocolate and diced candied orange. Chill.
10 min
Step 6
Just before serving, pipe the filling into the shells, decorate the ends with pistachio or candied orange and dust with icing sugar.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 304 kcal
- Protein
- 4.2 g
- Carbs
- 29.9 g
- Fat
- 18.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.2 g
- Fibre
- 1.5 g
- Sugar
- 12.8 g
- Sodium
- 53 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Eggs
- Tree nuts
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Marsala → Dry white wine
Common in Sicilian homes too; slightly less fragrant.
Tips
- The shells keep crisp for days in an airtight tin; fill only what you will eat.
- Cow's-milk ricotta works if drained well, but sheep's milk is the Sicilian taste.
History & culture
Cannoli began as a carnival sweet and are now eaten all year, from Palermo's pastry shops to village festivals. Sicilian pastry cooks fill them to order, and anyone who sells cannoli already filled hours ahead is judged harshly. Piana degli Albanesi near Palermo is famous for its giant ones.
Cannoli are usually traced to the area around Palermo and Caltanissetta, with ricotta sweets going back to the island's Arab period. For centuries they were made for carnival, the shells fried around lengths of cane, 'canne', which gave them their name.
Traditional — Sheep's-milk ricotta filling, fried shells, filled just before serving.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Cannoli siciliani take?
13 hr 30 min all in — 1 hr prep, 30 min cook, 12 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 16 cannoli. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
A bit of work.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Tree nuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Is the published recipe vegetarian or vegan?
It is not labelled vegetarian or vegan. If a swap on this page says otherwise, that note is the limit of what we claim.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Dutch oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
How much sugar?
25 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Marsala → Dry white wine. Common in Sicilian homes too; slightly less fragrant.
What should I watch for?
The metal tubes get very hot; use tongs.
Any tips from this recipe?
The shells keep crisp for days in an airtight tin; fill only what you will eat. Cow's-milk ricotta works if drained well, but sheep's milk is the Sicilian taste.
Can I prepare this ahead?
The day before, drain the ricotta in a sieve lined with muslin in the fridge overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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