Gluten Free Cannoli with Two Fillings
These are sure to be a hit for the holidays or for any special occasion! Fill them with a traditional filling or a variation.
Equipment
- 1 set cannoli molds
- stockpot or Dutch oven for frying shells
Ingredients
Gluten Free Cannoli Shells
- 2 cups (280 gr) Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- ½ cup (70 gr) Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour or other gf white rice flour by weight
- ¼ cup (29 gr) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, gf
- 1½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, gf
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 6 tbsp (85 gr) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, whisked
- ¾ cup (6 oz) Marsala wine, cold
- ½-1 teaspoon water for a soft firm dough, as needed only
- 1 large egg, whisked for egg wash
- 2 - 2 ½ qts vegetable oil or canola oil
- ¼-½ cup chopped pistachios, gluten free dark chocolate shavings, gluten free dark mini chocolate chips, orange peel or candied orange finely sliced for dipping the ends
Filling # 1 - Traditional
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta, strained overnight
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp superfine sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract Gran Reserva Molina, gf or other gf brand
Filling # 2 - Laura's Favorite
- ½ cup superfine sugar
- 14 ounces Mascarpone cheese
- 3 oz heavy cream
- 12 ounces whole milk ricotta, strained overnight fold in
- ¾ teaspoon Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract Gran Reserva Molina, gf or other gf brand
- ½-1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
- ¼-½ oz dark chocolate shavings, gf, optional
Instructions
Gluten Free Cannoli Shells
- To a medium bowl, add the 1 to 1 flour, rice flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to combine by hand. Cut in the small butter pieces using a pastry cutter or two knives cutting in method, until small crumb is attained.
- Add the cold Marsala wine and the egg and stir to combine. *You can use a food processor pulsing to combine if you prefer. Bring the dough together with your hands. If it's too stiff, add ½ teaspoon of water and knead in.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each in cellophane and refigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove one ball from the refrigerator. Place on a GF floured parchment paper (I prefer cassava flour or white rice flour for this). Cover with another piece of parchment and roll out to 3/32" or ⅛". Trace a 4" glass with a knife to cut out circles of dough. Transfer the circles to a plate and dust very lightly with GF flour before stacking additional circles. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Spray the cannoli molds with nonstick spray or vegetable oil. Spray a small amount in the inside too. Stretch a mold to be barely oval and wrap lenghwise around the mold. Brush with egg wash to seal the seam.
- Set the molds on a piece of parchment. Repeat the process with as many molds as you have. Cover the remaining dough circle with cellophane.
- In a stockpot or large Dutch oven, heat 3 inches of oil. Use a thermometer to heat the oil to 358-362℉. If the oil temperature rises or lowers as you are frying the shells, just inch the burner up or down as needed.
- Gently drop the molds into the heated oil, 3-4 at a time. Set a timer for 2 minutes once you drop in. At that point turn over and cook for about 30 seconds or so. They should be pretty brown for best crispness. Drain on paper towels placed over a wire rack or a wire rack over a cookie sheet.
- Repeat until all are fried. Remove the molds from the cannoli shells once they are cool enough to handle. Form the remaining circles over the molds again, spraying with a tiny bit more cooking spray or oil and sealing the seam the egg wash.
- Let the shells cool completely before moving to a containers, covered with cellophane, then sealed closed. Set in an oven with the door closed (and a note so the oven doesn't get turned on!).
- When ready to fill, add the filling to a pastry bag with a ½" tip or large star tip. Fill from each end, making sure that the cream gets to the middle of the shell. Dip the ends in pistachios, chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips, or candied orange peel strips. Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder and powdered sugar just before serving.
Filling #1 - Traditional
- Mix the strained ricotta, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before filling the shells.
Filling #2 - Laura's Favorite
- Make the filling by whipping the Mascarpone with the sugar. Add the heavy cream and continue whipping until smooth. Gently stir in the strained ricotta. Add the vanilla, and optional orange zest and chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate for a several hours before filling.
