Tuzzolino Cannoli

Ingredients
Yields 12 cannolis

For Homemade Shells:

• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbls. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white (for sealing the shells closed before frying)
• 3 tbls. unsalted butter
• 1/3 c. Marsala wine

For Filling:

• 32 oz. (4 cups) Whole milk Ricotta
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
• Lemon zest or vanilla extract (optional)
• Mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, pecans or pistachios (for dipping the ends of the cannoli in)

Directions

For the shells

• In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter in chunks, pulsing until combined. Add Marsala wine and the whole egg. The dough should form a slightly sticky ball. Let dough rest 30 minutes.
• To roll out the dough, my family uses a pasta maker. You can use a rolling pin, but dough should be very thin! Once rolled thin like pasta dough, use a round cookie cutter (at least 4" in diameter) to cut out the 24 shells. Then, heat 8 cups oil in a fryer or large pot. Wrap each dough round around a wooden dowel (my mom uses the wooden dowels passed on from my grandma) or a cannoli form. Stick the edges together using beaten egg white so the circle stays wrapped around the dowel while frying. Fry each cannoli shell only 1-2 minutes, turning once so they're golden brown on all sides. Don't overcrowd the fryer. Carefully remove the shells and set them out to dry. Once they're slightly cooled and the oil has dried, the dowel should slide right out leaving you with a flaky, crispy cannoli shell!

For the filling

• Stir together Ricotta, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Some prefer to omit the cinnamon and add lemon zest or vanilla extract. There a lots of possible variations!

To assemble

• Fill a piping bag with the filling, fill each shell with ~1/4 cup filling by piping from both ends. Dip each end of the cannoli into nuts or chocolate chips. To finish, sprinkle a dusting of powdered sugar over the cannoli.

(Note: My great-grandma Tuzzolino left a hand-written note on her recipe saying, "To be honest, it's easier to buy the damn shells and fill them at home." LOL)