Cannoli siciliani

Ingredients

150g 1 cup all purpose or "OO" flour

A pinch of salt

1 Tb granulated sugar

1 tsp powdered cocao or coffee or cinnamon (optional)

15g 1 Tb lard (or softened butter)

1 egg (separated)

1 tsp 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Dry Marsala or white wine (q.b.)

Vegetable oil for frying

500g 1 lb ricotta, preferably made from sheep's milk (well drained)

100-150g 3-1/2 to 5 oz confectioner's sugar (to taste)

1 tsp rose or orange flower water (or milk)

Mini-chocolate chips or candied fruit (optional)

Pistachios or hazelnuts, shelled and roughly ground

Bittersweet mini-chocolate chips

Candied cherries (or other candied fruits)

Confectioner's sugar

Directions

Making the Shells:

Mix well the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and, if using, cocoa) in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Incorporate the lard, then an egg yolk and the vinegar if using, then add the wine bit by bit until you get a soft and pliable, but not sticky, ball of dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

Roll out the dough into thin sheets. Cut out circles with a pastry ring about 8cm/4 inches wide. (You can also cut the dough into similarly sized squares.)

Wrap the circles around the cannoli tubes, making sure their ends overlap. Brush the inside of one end with a bit of egg white (or water), then press them together to ensure the two ends adhere to each other.

Deep fry in moderately hot (180C/350F) oil until golden on all sides. If done right, bubbles should form on the surface of the dough as it fries. Drain and let cool completely, then gingerly slip the shells off their tubes. Let the tubes cool completely before proceeding with the next batch.

Repeat as necessary until you use up all the dough.

Making the filling:

Press the ricotta through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Add in the confectioner's sugar and mix thoroughly. Mix in the rosewater and mix to perfume and soften the mixture every so slightly. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is creamy and perfectly smooth. (A standing mix makes short work of the whisking.)

If you like, you can mix some chocolate chips and/or candied fruit into the filling, to taste.

Chill for at least an hour.

Assembling and decorating the cannoli

Just before serving, using a pastry bag with an extra wide tip or without a tip (if you don't have a pastry bag, a sandwich bag with one corner snipped off will do fine), fill each cannoli shell with the ricotta filling.

Decorate each end as you prefer: with ground pistachios or hazelnuts, chocolate chips and/or candied cherries or candied fruit. Dust the shells with confectioner's sugar.

Serve as soon as possible after preparation.