Preparation
- Knead together the flour, sugar, salt and ghee. Add the cocoa, cinnamon, espresso and vinegar and work everything into a smooth, firm dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- If the ricotta is watery, drain it in a cloth. It must be dry, otherwise the tubes will go soft later.
- Roll the dough out very thinly and cut out circles about 10 cm in diameter. Wrap each circle around a cannoli tube, brush the overlapping edge with egg yolk and press down firmly.
- Heat the oil to about 180 °C and deep-fry the tubes in batches for about 1 minute until golden brown all over. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Let the tubes cool briefly, carefully slide them off the moulds and leave to cool completely.
- For the filling, beat the ricotta with the icing sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth, then fold in the pistachios, candied fruit and chocolate. Chill the cream for 30 minutes.
- Pipe or spoon the cream into the cooled tubes, dust with icing sugar and serve soon after.
Drink with it
Sweet wine · excellent match
Passito di Pantelleria or Vin Santo
Notes of honey, apricot and almond mirror the pistachio and ricotta, and the acidity cuts through the milk fat of the filling.
Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberatelyCream liqueur · excellent match
Pistachio or almond cream liqueur, a small measure over ice
The nutty note of the liqueur echoes the pistachios, and the ice softens the sweetness.
Fortified wine · good match
Marsala Superiore dolce
Sweet Marsala is Sicily's own companion: caramel and nut aromas suit the toasty note of the pastry tube and the pistachios.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and VintageSparkling wine · good match
Moscato d'Asti
Light sweetness and fine bubbles keep the ricotta cream fresh.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?