Traditional Cannoli Filling Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional cannoli filling made of? ›

Traditionally, cannoli filling is a sweet, simple filling made with ricotta cheese and powdered sugar. We also use vanilla and a hint of cinnamon in our cannoli filling recipe.

THE BEST RICOTTA CHEESE:

A huge component of this Homemade Cannoli Cream is, of course, the delicious Galbani® Ricotta Cheese. This rich and creamy cheese can be found in your local market's dairy aisle and is the perfect cheese to use for a delicious and rich cannoli cream.

If the cannoli filling is too thin and runny, take two tablespoonfuls of the filling and place in a glass bowl. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

In Sicily, where cannoli are thought to have originated, sheep's milk ricotta is typically favored. Traditional cannoli filling in the United States, however, is most often made with cow's milk ricotta since it's the most readily available product.

Always use 100% whole milk ricotta–skim milk will separate and become super watery and grainy. The shells and filling can be made several days ahead. Store the filling in closed containers in the refrigerator and the shells in airtight containers.

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

Here are a few distinctions: The Venetian shell is in a cylinder shape while the Sicilian shell looks like a bow tie wrap. While the Sicilian dough is deep-fried, the Venetian dough is baked. The traditional Venetian filling is made of heavy cream cheese mixed with vanilla bean.

Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta has twice the cream of regular whole milk ricotta and all the delicious taste and texture you expect plus it is made with 4 simple ingredients. The perfect ricotta to eat on its own as a decadent snack, to make extra rich desserts, and to make your regular hot ricotta dishes even better.

Drain the ricotta: One essential technique for achieving a thick and creamy cannoli filling is to drain the ricotta overnight in the refrigerator. Place the ricotta on paper towels to absorb excess moisture, which will help prevent a watery filling [1].

Oil that is too cool will cook the dough in place without bubbling it up. It results in a shell that is crunchy and hard, not crispy and light. Oil that is too hot can burn your shells, but it can also create too much steam too quickly and puff up the shells in a bad way.

What makes cannolis so good? ›

The crispy pastry shell is made with the usual suspects: flour, sugar, whole eggs, and butter. It's usually spiked with marsala, a fortified wine that adds distinct flavor and sweetness. The alcohol also helps tenderize the pastry, ensuring a pleasantly flaky finished product.

Cannoli filling is made with ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and lemon zest or orange zest. Additions to the creamy filling include dried fruit or small pieces of dark chocolate (mini chocolate chips). The shell can be garnished with melted chocolate, and the cannoli cream sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

Don't Fill Them Until Just Before Serving

If you let it get too soggy, it falls apart and the taste gets ruined! The same is true for a good cannoli. For the best taste and structure from your treats, don't pump the shells with their filling until just before you're about to serve them.

Here are a few distinctions: The Venetian shell is in a cylinder shape while the Sicilian shell looks like a bow tie wrap. While the Sicilian dough is deep-fried, the Venetian dough is baked. The traditional Venetian filling is made of heavy cream cheese mixed with vanilla bean.

Traditional recipes for cannoli shells called for using lard in the dough; contemporary recipes tend to substitute butter, which is easier to find. Some recipes contain eggs; and most include vinegar and/or wine — the liquid is what gives the shells their characteristic blistered texture, which happens during frying.

Cannoncini are an Italian dessert made from crispy flaky butter puff pastry filled with a luscious velvety pastry cream. Traditionally, you can find these cannoncini in all bakeries and pastry shops around Italy.