This is what I made for my dad's birthday.
This is what I made for my dad's birthday. I accidentally discovered that besides fruit pies, he likes cannoli. So I made him some.
Part of that led me to read the labels on the available candied fruit you can buy in the stores. Sugar was the least of the toxic nasties. So I made my own candied citrus peel, after hunting down organic citrus late/out of season in the hope that it hadn't been impregnated or sprayed with nasty chemicals.
Turns out making candied citrus peel is the most sciency cooking. It's just like embedding tissue for sectioning. Well, the fancier process that fancy confectioners use is. However, now that I have done it once, I would totally go get culinary glucose and use that instead of dissolved sucrose, esp since it is theoretically less unhealthy. Also, can probably do without hot sugar syrup.
In any case, it turns out that it tastes infinitely better than the store-bought stuff, as well, so that's a bonus.
Oh, and I hope some of you like candied citrus peel. Because the recipes make a lot more than you think they will. On the up side, most of the compounds that are healthy in citrus are in the peel and pith and are not water soluble so do not cook off during processing. Healthy, tasty candy!
Meanwhile, I did try to find goat or sheep ricotta, but nope. So it's authentic as far as it gets. Ricotta, chopped up bits of candied citrus, and some shaved 70% valrhona chocolate (none of that crummy chocolate chip stuff), vanilla, and some powdered sugar for the filling.
I used sauternes rather than marsala in the shells because a) it's legit, b) I could get a half bottle, which I can find ways to use up. I mean, in addition to drinking it.
The recipe actually makes 25 cannoli, but they get soggy if you fill them and leave them around, so other than these, just filling on demand. Will also freeze some shells and filling to have for later.
Part of that led me to read the labels on the available candied fruit you can buy in the stores. Sugar was the least of the toxic nasties. So I made my own candied citrus peel, after hunting down organic citrus late/out of season in the hope that it hadn't been impregnated or sprayed with nasty chemicals.
Turns out making candied citrus peel is the most sciency cooking. It's just like embedding tissue for sectioning. Well, the fancier process that fancy confectioners use is. However, now that I have done it once, I would totally go get culinary glucose and use that instead of dissolved sucrose, esp since it is theoretically less unhealthy. Also, can probably do without hot sugar syrup.
In any case, it turns out that it tastes infinitely better than the store-bought stuff, as well, so that's a bonus.
Oh, and I hope some of you like candied citrus peel. Because the recipes make a lot more than you think they will. On the up side, most of the compounds that are healthy in citrus are in the peel and pith and are not water soluble so do not cook off during processing. Healthy, tasty candy!
Meanwhile, I did try to find goat or sheep ricotta, but nope. So it's authentic as far as it gets. Ricotta, chopped up bits of candied citrus, and some shaved 70% valrhona chocolate (none of that crummy chocolate chip stuff), vanilla, and some powdered sugar for the filling.
I used sauternes rather than marsala in the shells because a) it's legit, b) I could get a half bottle, which I can find ways to use up. I mean, in addition to drinking it.
The recipe actually makes 25 cannoli, but they get soggy if you fill them and leave them around, so other than these, just filling on demand. Will also freeze some shells and filling to have for later.
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