Crisp Blistered Cannoli Shells

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the dry mix

   Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt into a roomy bowl. The cocoa is there for color and a faint bitterness that keeps the shell from tasting flatly sweet, so don't be tempted to leave it out.

2. 2

   Rub in the fat

   Scatter the cold cubed lard or butter over the flour and rub it in with your fingertips until nothing larger than a lentil remains and the mixture feels like damp sand. Work quickly so the fat stays cold.

3. 3

   Bring the dough together

   Beat the egg with the Marsala and vinegar, then pour it into the bowl and stir with a fork until the dough starts clumping. It should look shaggy and a little dry rather than tacky. If there are stubborn floury patches at the bottom of the bowl, add Marsala a teaspoon at a time until they come in.

4. 4

   Knead and rest

   Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead firmly for 6 to 8 minutes. This is a stiff dough and it will fight you at first, but it should finish smooth and elastic, like fresh pasta dough. Wrap it tightly and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to overnight. Skipping this rest is the single most common reason shells come out tough.

5. 5

   Roll it thin, then thinner

   Cut the dough into four pieces and keep three covered. Roll the first piece as thin as you can, down to about 1/16 inch, so you can almost see your hand through it. If you have a pasta machine, run it down to the second-thinnest setting. Brush the sheet with a very thin film of egg white, fold it in half, and roll it out thin again. That trapped layer is what gives you the big blisters.

6. 6

   Cut and wrap the forms

   Cut 4-inch rounds, then stretch each one gently into a slight oval. Lay a cannoli tube across the center, fold one long edge over it, brush that edge with egg white, and lap the opposite edge over to seal. Press firmly on the seam only, leaving the rest of the dough loose around the tube so it can puff. Keep the shaped tubes covered while you work through the rest of the dough.

7. 7

   Heat the oil

   Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot to a depth of at least 3 inches and clip on a thermometer. Bring it to 350°F and hold it there. Below about 340°F the shells drink oil and turn greasy and pale; above 360°F they darken before the inside has set. Set a wire rack nearby.

8. 8

   Fry in small batches

   Lower two or three tubes into the oil at a time using tongs. They will bubble up almost immediately. Fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, rolling them once, until the shells are deep golden and covered in blisters. Lift them out and stand them on the wire rack, never on paper towels, which trap steam and soften the shell. Let the oil climb back to 350°F before the next batch.

9. 9

   Unmold and cool

   After about a minute, when the tubes are cool enough to handle with a towel, grip the shell gently and twist the tube free. Wipe and re-oil the tubes lightly before reusing. Cool the shells completely before filling, which should happen no more than 20 minutes before serving.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Rolling thickness matters more than any other variable. A shell rolled to 1/8 inch comes out hard and bready; the same dough at 1/16 inch comes out glassy and light.

• 2.

  Seal the seam with egg white, not water, and press only the overlap. A seam that pops open mid-fry usually means the dough was too dry or the press was too timid.

• 3.

  Dry Marsala is traditional, but any dry white wine works. The acid tenderizes the dough and the alcohol flashes off in the fryer, leaving aroma behind.

• 4.

  Lard gives a cleaner snap and a subtler flavor than butter, both in the dough and as a frying fat. If you've never tried it, fry one batch each way and taste them side by side.

• 5.

  Re-rolled scraps make tougher shells. Knead them back together, let them rest 15 minutes, and roll them last.

• 6.

  If your shells come out smooth instead of blistered, your oil was likely too cool or the dough too thick. Fix the temperature first, then the thickness.

Equipment

• Metal cannoli tubes (at least 6)
• Rolling pin or pasta machine
• 4-inch round cutter
• Deep heavy pot or Dutch oven
• Deep-fry thermometer
• Long tongs or a spider skimmer
• Wire cooling rack
• Pastry brush

Storage