Ingredients

Method

For the dough:
• 300 g flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1⁄4 t bicarbonate of soda
• 1⁄4 t ground cinnamon
• Salt, a pinch
• 1 lemon, zested
• Amaretto or water
• 2 large free-range eggs, separated
• 4 T butter, melted
• canola oil, for deep-frying
For the filling:
• 500 g g fresh ricotta
• 3–4 T Amaretto
• 20 g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 50 g white chocolate, melted
• 100 g pistachios, crushed

Method

Ingredients

To make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl, then add the sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt.

Make a well in the centre and add the lemon zest, Amaretto or water and egg yolks. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined.

Knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth, then wrap the dough in clingwrap and chill for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, place the ricotta, Amaretto and icing sugar into a food processor and mix until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate, spoon into a piping bag and chill.

Set up a pasta machine and lightly dust with our. Heat the canola oil to 180°C in a deep saucepan.

Divide the dough into four, covering three of the four pieces with a clean, damp cloth. Pass a section through the pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold it in half and pass it through again. Reduce the setting by one notch and pass through again. Continue rolling, until you reach one of the thinnest settings – the dough should be easy to handle but still delicate. Dust your work surface and dough with our to prevent it from sticking.

Cut the rolled dough into 10 cm squares and wrap around a cannoli tube, sealing the overlapping edge with a dab of egg white.

Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until golden brown and crisp. Use tongs to carefully remove each tube from the oil, allowing any excess to drip off. Drain the cannoli on kitchen paper, still in their moulds. Once cool enough to handle, slide off the moulds. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Just before serving, pipe the filling into each shell and sprinkle the ends with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately.

Cook's note: These are a little tricky to get right, but once you do it’s totally worth it. Just make sure your pasta machine is dusted off and you’re armed and ready with cannoli tubes.

No cannoli tubes? No problem! Make your own by getting hollow round piping with +- 3cm diameter (aluminium or stainless steel) from a hardware store. Remember to boil them for a couple of minutes before using to ensure they're thoroughly clean.