Ingredients
Instructions
- To make shells, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Cut in butter.
- Add egg yolks; stir with a fork.
- Stir in wine, 1 tablespooon at a time, with a fork until dough clings together.
- Form a ball with the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Roll dough almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface.
- Using the rim of a margarita glass (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough.
- Using a paring knife, make sure circles are cut all the way through.
- Roll each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube, overlaping the ends and press to seal, flaring out the edges slightly.
- Fry one or two at a time in hot melted shortening (about 360°F) for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides.
- Remove from hot grease and drain on paper towels, seam side down.
- Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
- To remove the tube hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end.
- Leave cannoil shells on paper towel, seam side down to cool completely.
- ~NOTE~Shells can be stored in airtight containers and made several days prior to filling.
- For filling, drain ricotta cheese over cheesecloth if ricotta is watery.
- Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Squeeze Maraschino cherries with paper towels to remove all liquid.
- (If you don't squeeze them good, you will have a pink water filling!).
- Stir in cherries and chocolate chips into the ricotta mixture, being careful not to over mix.
- For a lighter filling, you may whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to form stiff peaks, and fold into filling mixture at this step.
- Chill filling for about 30 minutes before piping into cooled cannoli shells.
- You may garnish the cannoli by sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
- Whipped cream, a cherry, and shaved chocolate can also be used to garnish the top.
- Keep refrigerated until time of serving.