Four Ways Cannoli Filling Recipes

FOUR WAYS CANNOLI FILLING

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and goat cheese. Using an electric mixer with medium speed, beat the cheeses until well combined, smooth and creamy.
• 2. Turn the mixer speed to low, add powder sugar, ½ cup at a time and beat to combine. Turn the mixer off.
• 3. Divide cream into 4 equal portions and transfer each portion into 4 separate medium bowls.
• 4. Bowl #1: add cocoa powder, coffee instant, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt into cream. Stir with rubber spatula until well combined, this cream mixture is mocha flavor. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• 5. Repeat remaining bowl #2, #3 and #4 for coconut lemon, chocolate cayenne and rum flavor.
• 6. Transfer each cannoli filling flavors into 4 separate pastry bags with or without a tip. Fill cannoli shells from both end sides of the shells. Each flavors can fill 7 to 8 cannoli shells.
• 7. For decoration: 1. Dip a fork into melted chocolate and drizzle on top of cannolis: - melted dark chocolate for chocolate cayenne and rum flavor - melted white chocolate for coconut lemon and mocha flavor 2. After drizzling melted chocolate, sprinkle cayenne sea salt on top of chocolate cayenne flavor and dust cocoa powder on top of mocha flavor.

CANNOLI WITH PASTRY CREAM FILLING RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan, heat milk, a strip of lemon zest and vanilla extract. Do not bring to a boil. Set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Add flour and whisk.
• Pour half of the warm milk into the egg mixture and whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining milk. Place on the burner over medium-high heat and whisk continuously until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Remove and discard the strip of lemon zest.
• To ensure your pastry cream is completely smooth and free of lumps, force it through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl.
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream in order to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled, about 2 hours.
• While the pastry cream cools prepare the shells by stirring together all-purpose flour and sugar in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the milk; red wine; vegetable oil and egg.
• Use a fork to whisk the wet ingredients and slowly begin incorporating the flour into the wet ingredients to form a dough. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
• This dough does not require a resting period and can be rolled out immediately. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, keep the remaining pieces covered to prevent the dough from drying.
• Use a pasta roller (or rolling pin) to roll out the sheets of dough until the second to last setting. Lightly sprinkle your sheets with all-purpose flour as needed if they are sticky. Keep the sheets of dough covered to prevent from drying.
• Cut the dough into 4 inch rounds with a cookie cutter or any other household item of similar size. For years my mom used a mug with a 4 inch opening.
• Reroll any scraps of dough and cut out more circles.
• Wrap the dough around the cannoli molds and seal both ends with egg white (reserve an egg white from the pastry cream). This is crucial to prevent them from unwrapping from the molds during frying.
• Fill a deep heavy bottomed pot (or use a fryer if you have one) with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the oil.
• In order to verify if the oil is hot enough try out my mom's easy method: place the end of a wooden spoon directly in the middle of the pot, if the oil immediately bubbles and sizzles around the handle it's ready for frying.
• Fry 3 or 4 cannoli shells at a time until golden. Avoid overcrowding your pot as you may have to hold them down to ensure that all sides are evenly fried. They sometimes roll over when you try to flip them!
• The shells are ready when they are golden and bubbly. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or tray.
• Use two paper towels to carefully separate the cannoli molds from the shell (be careful, they will be extremely hot!). Wrap more dough around the molds and continue fry the remaining pieces of dough.
• Fill the cannoli shells once they are completely cooled.
• Place the cooled cannoli cream in a pastry bag with a star or round tip attachment. Alternately use a freezer bag with the tip cut off.
• Pipe the cream at both ends of each cannoli shell making sure that the cream reaches the center of the shell.
• Dust with powdered sugar (optional) and sprinkle some chopped pistachios and chocolate chips or grated chocolate (optional) on each end.
• Fill up to 4 hours prior to serving to ensure the shell stays crisp. Refrigerate the filled cannoli shells.