Ingredients Shells: 2 c All-purpose flour 2 tb Shortening 1 ts Sugar 1/4 ts Salt 3/4 c Wine, Marsala, Burgundy or - Vegetable Oil Filling: 3 c Ricotta 1/2 c Confectioners sugar 1/4 c Cinnamon 1/2 Square unsweetened Chocolate grated OR 1/2 tb Cocoa (both optional) 1/2 ts Vanilla 3 tb Citron peel, chopped 3 tb Orange peel, candied,chopped 6 Glace cherries, cut up To make cannoli shells it is necessary to have 3 or 4 metal tubes, preferably made from very light tin, about 7-inches long and 1 1/8 inches in diameter. The edges should not be soldered 1. SHELLS: Combine flour, shortening, sugar and salt, and wetting gradually with wine, knead together with fingers until rather hard dough or paste is formed. Form into ball, cover with cloth and let stand about 1 hour. Cut dough in half and roll half of dough into a thin sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 4 inch squares. Place a metal tube diagonally across each square from one point to another, wrapping dough around tube by overlapping the two points and sealing overlapping points with a little egg white. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in large deep pan for deep frying. Drop one or two tubes at a time into hot oil. Fry gently until dough is a golden brown color. Remove from pan, let cool and gently remove shell from metal tube. Set shells aside to cool. Repeat procedure until all shells are made. 2. FILLING: Mix ricotta thoroughly with sifted dry ingredients. Add vanilla and fruit peel. Mix and blend well. (A little grated pistachio may be added if desired). Chillin refrigerator before filling shells. Fill cold cannoli shells; smooth filling evenly at each end of shell. Decorate each end with a piece of glace cherry and sprinkle shells with confectioners sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 2 lbs. Ricotta 1 tbsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. chopped nuts 1/2 c. chocolate chips 1/2 c. citron (optional) Blend first 4 ingredients and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Blend with your fingertips as you would a pie crust. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. This makes a hard dough. Chill 1 hour. Roll dough to 1/2 inch and cut into 4x5-inch rectangles. Roll dough around tubes, 1 inch diameter. Fry at 360 degrees until brown. Drain; cool. Beat Ricotta, vanilla, sugar until smooth, then add chocolate chips and citron. Chill. Fill crusts at both ends with filling, then sprinkle ends with chopped nuts and dust with powdered sugar.

In Australia, Italian families usually make the easier version of a cannoli filling and make a quick filling of vanilla or chocolate custard then sprinkle with icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and enjoy!