Ingredients
FILLING
1 lb ricotta, drained
1 cup sugar, confectioners
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/3 cup chocolate chips, semisweet
1 tsp orange peel, grated
1/2 tsp lime peel, grated
DOUGH
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar, confectioners
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup beer
1 tbsp butter, sweet, softened
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 tsp vanilla
1 oil, for deep frying
Directions
FOR FILLING: Puree ricotta and sugar in processor until smooth.
Transfer to large bowl. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Cover and
refrigerate until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Bring
filling to room temperature before using.
FOR DOUGH: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and pinch of
salt in large bowl. Make well in center. Add beer, butter, half of
egg (reserve remainder for another use) and vanilla to well.
Gradually draw flour from edge of well into center until all flour is
incorporated. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth.
Cover and let stand 1 hour.
Roll out dough out into 12-inch square. Cut into nine 4-inch
squares. Wrap 1 square around each cannoli form,* brushing edges with
water and pressing gently to seal.
Heat oil in deep fryer or heavy large skillet to 350F. Add cannoli in
batches and cook until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4
minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove shells from cannoli forms.
Cool.
Spoon filling into pastry bag without tip. Pipe filling into cannoli
shells.
* Tinned steel cylindrical molds available at most specialty
: cookware stores (or Williams-Sonoma).
Servings: 9 servings
Chocolate Cannoli Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chocolate; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be traced far back into the far past, at least as far into history as the early Egyptians, and maybe even further. Having said that, these, ancient cook books were just very simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for meal preparation.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe in existence, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. As we move into The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a few documents detailing recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his publication, Apicius tells us how the roman meals were split into hors d`oeuvre, main course and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef informs us how the early Romans made use of a wide range of aromatic flavors, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks such as bay, fennel and asafoetida. Over the next few hundred years, the wealthy families of the West competed to serve up the best banquets, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipes were greatly in demand. Notwithstanding that, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century the formal cooking and cookery books rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, trying out, and publishing recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. When we get to the 1900s, cooking books were highly popular due to more people being able to read, people having increased free time and being a little richer. The arrival of TV brought us TV cooks and the spin-off recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to search through massive numbers of recipes just like those on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Chocolate Cannoli recipe.
