If you’ve never make cannolis before, you don’t need to be intimidated by the Intermediate level you find on all the recipes. Cannolis can be simple to make. You can follow a few tips to turn simple ingredients into a treat everyone will adore.
3 Tips For Your First Time Making Cannolis
Growing up, I loved the cannolis from a special recipe my grandmother brought over from Sicily when she immigrated in the early 1900s to New York, then Michigan. My family enjoyed making cannolis on special occasions. Although I often watched my mom make the recipe, I had to try it out several times to figure out the right way to make them. Today, you can check out three tips that I learned while making cannolis.
Decide which advice to take, and which to leave.
Before you begin, you should get a good idea of the advice that will make or break your cannoli. The more authentic the recipe, the more it will taste as a real cannoli should.
For your first time making cannolis, use a simple recipe. This homemade cannoli recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli on Food Network uses simple ingredients and makes the steps simple to understand.
Some important advice you shouldn’t skip includes making an egg wash for the cannoli dough when you put it on the cannoli form, and to flare the dough out at the ends to make it easier to remove after frying.
Not all advice will work for you. When I first asked my mother to send me the recipe and some advice, I didn’t have any of the supplies I needed. An old Italian adage is to use an old broomstick or a dowel and to saw it in pieces to create cannoli forms. Several days later, some round, wood cannoli forms showed in my mail. I’m still wondering how far back they go in our family.
Some other advice is that for a simpler recipe, you can skip making the dough. Some people buy cannoli shells already made, or you can use wonton wrappers, although the taste is not the same. If you want the pride of knowing you made the cannolis from start to finish, use a good dough recipe.
Flavor them to your taste.
Some of the best advice I received was to sprinkle powdered sugar and to put a few chocolate chips on the top of each cannoli’s filling at the end of the recipe. Since sweet cannolis make my whole family happy, these tips make the dessert a pleasing dish for everyone.
To get a good idea of how sweet you want your cannolis, sample as many cannolis as you can to get an idea of the variety of flavors. From the best Italian restaurants in Baltimore to my local grocery store, I’ve tried many types of cannolis and I’ve learned that for me, the sweeter, the better.
Use a high quality mixer, cannoli forms, a cutter, and a good rolling pin.
The first time I made cannolis, I had a huge amount of enthusiasm and love for the recipe, but none of the right supplies. Trying to substitute alternatives for the products required did not work at all. The dough was too thick, and the filling was too runny.
When Cuisinart sent me the Precision Master Mixer, I couldn’t wait to try it out with a cannoli recipe. Not only did the mixer work well for the dough, but it also whisked the heavy cream well in order to make a filling that had the right consistency. Mixing was simple with the stand mixer. Clean up was also easy to do. Hand washing the parts took barely any time.
To make cannolis, you should buy cannoli tubes, a 3.5 inch round cutter, and a good rolling pin. The previous links are to the products I purchased, and they worked well. When you hand wash the cannoli tubes, be careful because they are very sharp on the edges.
If you’re new to making cannolis, make sure to buy the right supplies. Although my first attempt resulted in an odd-shaped (yet delicious) donut-inspired dough ball with filling on top, this last batch was just the way I wanted it.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience making cannolis! If you did, be sure to share the image below on Pinterest and to use the like buttons at the end of the post.
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Disclosure: I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion!
My tummy is grumbling now! I don’t think I’ve ever had a cannoli which is just not good enough! Love the sound of everything going on in these those!
They look delicious! I really want to try and make some now!
Wow! Such great tips and those look scrumptious! I might just have to make cannolis now…
Great post! These looks so yummy! I love a good cannolis. I might try making it.
Shared this recipe. Looks easy enough and so yummy. Thank you!
For the first time i feel like i may be able to really do this lol
Oh my goodness, I want to learn how to make cannolis so badly. They make me weak in the knees! Thanks for this helpful post!
Much love,
Ashley | dearash.com
Mmmm very delicious. I have to try this!
These look so yummy I will have to try this recipe out.
Great tips! I love cannolis but have never tried to make them, maybe now I will have to 🙂
Ohhh these look amazing! I’ve never made cannolis but need to give them a try!
ohhhhh my goossshhhh! I looooove cannoli! These look totally to die for. Thanks for sharing your tips! 🙂
They look so good Theresa. I’m ok at cooking but I’d never attempt something like that, far to adventurous for me. Your photographs make me want to wade in and eat the lot!
Oh these look incredible! I’ve never tried them before, but now I seriously need to. Definitely adding them to the list of things I want to make.
Saving this! I love cannoli, but I’ve never tried to make them at home
Your Cannolis look amazing! I have never made them myself, but I love them! They are so yummy! sharing on pinterest 😉