Cannolis

All that talk of Delallo's (http://www.delallo.com/ Italian grocer in Jeannette, PA praised in the recent gnocchi post)... had me in the mood for cannolis. I didn't make the shells from scratch in this case but you certainly can. For anyone interested- I found a video on epicurious.com where you can learn how from Mario Batali Italian Chef extrodinaire himself. http://www.epicurious.com/video/holidays/holidays-christmas/1915458791/forming-and-frying-cannoli-shells/5295881001 Fortunately most specialty food stores/Italian food stores carry ready-made shells which makes the construction and consumption of cannolis possible for the average home cook. You can even order them online. http://www.goldencannoli.com/ You can find them plain or partially/fully dipped in chocolate. They typically come in a plastic wrapped box so they actually have a good shelf life. (The ones I used last week had been in my mom's pantry for well over a year...still delicious.)

Ricotta-Mascarpone Cannoli Filling (fills approximately 8-10 large shells) 1- 8 oz container of mascarpone cheese 1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese (if you have time to drain it in some cheese cloth, it makes for a thicker filling, but its certainly not necessary) 2/3 cup powdered sugar (more to taste, I don't like it overly sweet) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I like vanilla bean paste) 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips Blend all of the ingredients -except the chocolate chips-together in a food processor. Through trial and error the first few attempts at making the filling, I learned that a food processor is the best way to ensure the filling is smooth creamy, eliminating the graininess of the ricotta cheese. Lastly, I mix the chocolate chips into the filling with a spoon and then transfer the mixture to a large, freezer quality ziplock bag (my version of a disposable pastry bag.) The ticket to perfectly crispy crunchy cannolis is to fill them within a couple of hours from serving. The longer they sit in the fridge, the soggier the shells become. When ready- I squish all of the filling down to one of the bottom corners of the bag and then I cut a small corner with a pair of scissors. I fill each shell, starting in the middle and filling out to the edges- turn it and fill the other side. For the chocolate lovers out there, you can dunk the ends into more mini chocolate chips- it looks fancy too. The traditional Sicilian cannolis would also have candied fruit pieces mixed into the filling and for decoration on the ends. Serve as is or with a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top- if I'm serving guests, I like put them on a decorative plate with a big pile of fresh strawberries. One of my ABSOLUTE favorite pastries, I could go for one right now actually...