Makes: About 18 cannoli
Time: 1 hour
One of the most beloved Southern Italian pastries, cannoli have an addictively crunchy shell and mildly sweet ricotta filling, both of which can be made a few days ahead. You can find cannoli molds online, and you really do need them to achieve the proper cannoli shape, but if you don’t want to commit to buying specialty equipment, see the variations for some unorthodox alternatives. Whatever you do, try dipping the shells in tempered chocolate for an extra treat.
1. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal, then stir in the egg yolk and wine; once the liquid is incorporated, dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes until it’s smooth. If your dough is too dry, add another tablespoon of wine, or add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with about 2 inches oil, set it over medium heat, and bring it to 375°F, watching carefully because too-hot oil is a fire hazard and oil takes a while to cool down. Meanwhile, lightly dust a surface with flour and roll your dough into a large circle 1/8 inch thick or less. Cut the dough into roughly 4-inch circles (you can use a glass if you don’t have a cutter); working quickly, gather any scraps into a mound and roll them out in the same way. You should get about 18 circles total. For each pastry, wrap a circle around a cannoli mold (see headnote) so that the ends overlap slightly, using a bit of the egg white to seal.
4. Line a plate or cooling rack with paper towels. Carefully drop each mold into the oil, in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pot, and fry for 2 or 3 minutes, until the dough is crispy and golden. Transfer to the prepared plate and cool for a minute before sliding the shells off the molds; tongs and a kitchen towel are helpful for this since the shells and molds will be extremely hot. If the molds are too hot to reuse right away, you can run them under cold water and dry thoroughly before wrapping in more dough.
5. Continue this process of wrapping the molds and frying the shells until you’ve used all the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375°F. Let the shells cool completely. You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
6. Right before serving, put the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star tip or a zipper bag with a corner snipped off. Insert it into each side of the shells and pipe in enough filling to come out of the ends. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.
BAKED CANNOLI CUPS Crisp and golden without the deep-fryer: Heat the oven to 400°F and use oil to lightly grease the cups of a muffin tin or mini muffin tin. Roll and cut the dough—if you’re using a mini muffin tin, 2-inch circles will do—and press a piece into each cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Cool and fill.
FREE-FORM CANNOLI You don’t get the characteristic shape, but with the crackling crust you’re not likely to miss it: Roll the dough as directed; fry it flat instead of shaping it around a mold. Let cool before topping with the filling.
CHOCOLATE CHUNK CANNOLI Chopped chocolate tastes the best, but feel free to swap it for mini chocolate chips, which are traditional: Finely chop 6 ounces dark chocolate; reserve about one-fourth of it and fold the rest into the whipped ricotta mixture. Put the reserved chocolate in a bowl and dip each end of the filled cannoli into it so that it sticks to the filling.
LEMON-PISTACHIO CANNOLI Citrus goes nicely with ricotta, and pistachios are a classic, colorful addition: Substitute 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest for the cinnamon. Finely chop 1 cup roasted pistachios and put them in a bowl; after you fill the cannoli, dip each end into the nuts so that they’re coated.