Cannoli (Ricotta Cream filled pastries) - Updated

Update #2 - We made cannoli using bulk ricotta from DiGregorio's last weekend, and adjusted the handling of the cheese to account for it being packed in water. We placed the cheese in a collander inside a large bowl and let it drain overnight in the fridge. Turned out fine.  

Update - I've added a picture of the box for the cannoli shells at the end of the post - which has several variations on filling recipies, FYI. 

We have been learning to make cannoli at our house for the past several months. Earlier this year, we got the idea of preparing and taking them to a family reunion in Indiana. We tried several different recipes, but finally found an authentic one in a Sicilian cookbook that was sitting on Grandma's bookshelf. (None of our Italian cookbooks had a recipe.) You do not need to use whipping cream for these, which is what a lot of the recipes we found called for.

You will need an electric mixer and a pastry bag to make these. (In a pinch, you could probably use a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off in place of a pastry bag.) Plan purchase the cannoli shells at an Italian store. The shells can be home-made, but the consensus on the internet is that it is not worth it. Plan to make the cannoli right before eating them - they will get soggy if you try to store them in the fridge after they are filled.

Ingredients:

2 boxes cannoli mini-shells (12 per box)

1- 15 ounce container ricotta cheese (I like the whole milk ricotta cheese)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional) - or finely chopped regular chocolate chips or chocolate bar
Chopped candied fruit (orange peel or cherries - optional)
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on the finished cannoli (optional)

Note about the cheese: if there is any visible water in the container, drain it out before putting the cheese in your mixing bowl. (Apparently, older methods of selling the cheese involved packing it with a lot of water, so the older recipes call for draining and sort of pressing the cheese before using it.)

Place all ingredients (except the cannoli shells) in a large mixing bowl. Use the electric mixer to beat the cheese and other ingredients until light and fluffy, which will take several minutes. This process does not splash as much as whipping cream.

Fill the pastry bag with the filling mixture, closing off the small end with a bag clip or binder clip, and the large end after filling with a twist-tie or rubber band. Fill each cannoli shell by holding it steady on a plate and filling with the mixture - you might have to fill from both ends to fill the shell completely. The filling, of course, can be stored in the fridge after it is mixed.

3 filled mini cannoli is a good-sized serving.