Cannoli

[lvdkeyes]

Cannoli Shells
Makes about 18

3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons cold water
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Cut shortening in with a pastry blender until the pieces are the size of small peas.
Stir in eggs. Blend in the vinegar and cold water.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Add additional flour, if needed, to get a smooth dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Set out 6 aluminum cannoli tubes.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 360 degrees F.
Cut an oval shaped pattern from cardboard about 6x4-inches.
Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.
Place the cardboard pattern on dough and cut out as many as will fit on the dough.
Wrap dough loosely around tubes slightly overlapping opposite ends.
Seal ends by brushing with egg white and pressing together.
Fry only as many shells as will float un-crowded in the hot oil.
Fry until light golden brown, 3-4 minutes.
Remove cannoli shells to paper towels to drain.
Cool slightly and remove the tubes. Cool shells completely.
Continue forming and frying cannoli shells.
Using a pastry bag or a small spoon, fill the shells with the filling from both ends.
Do not fill the shells until up to an hour before serving, as the filling will make the shells soggy. Sprinkle ends with reserved chopped pistachio nuts and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Use Italian pastry cream for filling.

Italian Pastry Cream Filling

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
Pinch salt
1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with 1/4 cup of sugar. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the salt and remaining sugar. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and whisk it in until smooth. When the milk boils, slowly whisk one-third of it into the egg mixture. Then slowly add the egg mixture to the milk in the saucepan. You must follow these steps to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs. If you add them all at once to the hot milk they will curdle. Return the saucepan to a medium heat and again bring to a boil, whisking continually. The mixture should begin to thicken. Allow it to boil for another minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl.
Press plastic wrap against the surface. Refrigerate until very cold, about 2 hours.

Pastry Cream Variations
Orange: Add the grated zest of one orange to the cold milk and sugar.
Lemon: Add the grated zest of one lemon to the cold milk and sugar.
Chocolate: Add 4 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate to the hot pastry cream as it comes off the heat. Stir in and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk it in until smooth.
Coffee: Add 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder to the cold milk and sugar.
Rum: Add 2 tablespoons rum or your favorite liqueur to the hot pastry cream as it comes off the heat.