Cannoli from the Soprano Family Cookbook

This recipe makes 16.  You can buy cannoli tubes at kitchen supply stores.  You should have at least 8 in order to make this recipe comfortably.

For the ricotta cream:

2 pounds whole-  or part-skim milk ricotta
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel (you can make this yourself with equal parts water and sugar and the outer peel of the orange.  Boil until the peel is translucent.)

For the shells:

2 cups all purpose flour and more as needed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
About 1/2 cup dry white wine

1 egg white beaten
vegetable oil for deep frying
Candied cherries or orange peel and confectioners' sugar for decoration, if desired.

I used mascarpone instead of ricotta because it is richer and you don't have to drain the ricotta to get rid of the liguid; if you use ricotta, drain it with cheesecloth over a strainer, pressing out all the water you can; can be left in the fridge overnight with a plate over it as weight to press out water.  (You see now why I used mascarpone!)

For the shells, in a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in the oil and wine and mix to make a soft dough.  Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is well blended and smooth, about two minutes.  Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Cut dough into four pieces.  Beginning at middle setting, run each piece through the pasta machine, dusting with flour to prevent sticking.  Keep running it through until you reach the last or next-to-last setting.  You should be able to see your hand through the dough.  If you are doing this by hand, keep rolling until you get the dough very thin.  The pieces should be about 4 inches wide.  Measure your cannoli tubes and cut pieces from the dough that are one inch shorter than the tubes.  (I just made sure each piece would fit around my cannoli tubes and were shorter than the tubes themselves.)

Oil the cannoli tubes.  Place dough around each tube and dab a little egg white on the point where the  pieces overlap on the tube, being careful not to get any on the tube itself. 

Heat oil to around 375°F.  Fry tubes, a few at a time, turning them to brown them all over. Remove with tongs to paper towels to drain.  While they are still hot, remove the tubes by grasping each tube with a hot pan holder and pushing the cannoli off each tube with your hand or with tongs.  Be careful.  They break easily. You should have little trouble if your cannoli tubes are new and well-oiled.

Cool the shells on paper towels. 

The filling:

Mix all the ingredients except the decoration.  Whip until smooth.  Place in a pastry bag or a plastic bag with one corner cut out, and pipe the filling into each tube, filling one side half full and turning the tube to fill the second half.  Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired (it's overkill!) and enjoy.