Recipe - Cannoli (Cream Rolls)

FILLING
3 cup Ricotta cheese
1 One fourth cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
One half cup Finely chopped candied
Citron
One fourth cup Semi=sweet chocolate pieces

SHELL
3 cup Flour
One fourth cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
One fourth teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoon Shortening
2 Eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoon White vinegar
2 tablespoon Cold water
2 ounce Pistachio nuts
1 Egg white, slightly beaten

FOR FILLING: Combine and beat until smooth (about 10 min. with an electric
mixer at mediumhigh speed) Stir in, mixing thoroughly, citron and
chocolate pieces Place mixture in refrigerator to chill. FOR SHELLS: Sift
together first 4 ingredients into a bowl. Cut shortening in with a pastry
blender until pieces are size of small peas. Stir in eggs. Blend in, a
tablespoon at a time, the vinegar and cold water. Turn dough onto a lightly
floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Use a small amount of additional flour if necessary to get a smooth dough.
Wrap in waxed paper and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Set out six aluminum cannoli tubes (6 inches long, about 3/4inch
diameter). Set out deep saucepan or automatic deepfryer. Add vegetable
oil (or half vegetable oil and half olive oil) and heat to 360 F. Cut an
oval shaped pattern from cardboard (about 6 x 4 One half inches). Blanche in
boiling water, then cool and finely chop pistachios. Roll chilled dough an
lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a pastry cutter and
the oval pattern. Wrap dough loosely around tubes slightly overlapping
opposite edges. Seal edges by brushing with egg white. press edges together
to seal.

Fry only as many shells as will float uncrowded one layer deep in the hot
oil. Fry about 8 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally in
the oil. Drain over the pan before removing to paper toweling. Cool
slightly and remove tubes, then cool completely. Continue forming and
frying cannoli shells.

When ready to serve, fill with the chilled ricotta filling. Sprinkle ends
with the chopped nuts and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yield: About 16 to 18 cannoli

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini