I now understand why Italian women are so beautiful and happy all the time. Why you see them sunning themselves on the beaches of Lake Como and the Amalfi and looking like a Vogue cover model sitting in front of a trattoria enjoying the sites and scenes of the city. It's because they probably get to eat cannoli anytime of the day they want. I have a new found love affair with these little gems of a dessert. A Heavenly mix of ricotta and chocolate and crispy, crunchy pastry. I am setting up my kitchen for mass production, gone are the days of mood enhancing pills and drinks for the masses, let's just eat cannoli and call it day, shall we? Shout out!! to my BFF, cannoli wrapper, filler and eater Steph, also to my lovely man who slaved over making me and my stepmom's cannoli forms, without you there would be no cannoli. The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book RECIPE: CANNOLI SHELLS 2 cups (250 grams/8.82 ounces) all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar 1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt 3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil 1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand 1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk) Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres) 1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish Confectioners' sugar Note - If you want a chocolate cannoli dough, substitute a few tablespoons of the flour (about 25%) with a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) and a little more wine until you have a workable dough (Thanks to Audax). CANNOLI FILLING 2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained 1 2/3 cups cup (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted 1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean 3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice 2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange 3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios Note - If you want chocolate ricotta filling, add a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, and thin it out with a few drops of warm water if too thick to pipe. DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS: 1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight. 2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little. 3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little. 4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags. 5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly. 8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill. 9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough. Pasta Machine method: 1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through 2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them. 3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above. For stacked cannoli: 1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 - 190 °C). 2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling. DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING: 1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight. 2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated). ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI: 1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer. 2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

I dolcetti al cocco e cioccolato senza cottura sono dei dessert molto semplici da realizzare ma che piaceranno proprio a tutti. Ecco la ricetta

Sano e Buono. Quando penso ad un piatto che racchiuda entrambe le parole, mi viene in mente proprio il Minestrone di Verdure. Un piatto molto versatile

Una base morbida e soffice che si può utilizzare con tutta la frutta di stagione ma anche semplice marmellata, con le ciliegie viene deliziosa!

Cakes, pies, and sweet treats that satisfy every time.

Parmesan-laced crêpes soak in a pool of deeply-rich beef broth in this recipe from the Italian countryside.

Buongiorno a tutti! Oggi vi voglio addolcire la giornata con delle golosissime tortine nutella e mascarpone!

La prima volta che ho preparato questa ricetta ho utilizzato il coniglio ed era di Domenica e avevo a pranzo i miei genitori; a tavola era tutto un "Mmmmm che buono! Mamma è buonissimo! Ma perchè non lo facciamo anche a Natale invece dell'agnello? Ma complimenti!" . Insomma un successo! ;) Poi una sera avevo

Il budino al cocco è un dolce al cucchiaio delicato ma intenso al tempo stesso, ottimo per terminare un pasto. Ecco la ricetta

Ricetta vegana "Purè di patate americane al rosmarino" - Mmmmm... che buono questo purè!!! Ragazzi, davvero, una cosa spettacolare :) Premesso che adoro le patate americane in qualsiasi modo le prepariate, al

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Italy. The country is drenched in sunlight, boasts skiing AND beaches, and has what's arguably the best food in the world. There are big cities, postage-stamp sized villages, and everything in between. Even if it didn't have all those plusses, the history of the region alone would put it atop my favorite places list. (Then again, I'm a total history geek.) Part of why I chose this cruise was that it made three stops in Italy, one outside Naples, one an hour from Rome, and a third stop just south of the Cinque Terre. Again, I popped out of bed at dawn to go on my balcony and watch the sun rise. This is just off the coast of Capri. I wanted to bottle it. The sky and water were some of the most beautiful shades I've ever seen. Once we pulled into the port in Naples, we went through the large port building (all brand-spanking new!) to find our driver. Since I've been to the Amalfi Coast before, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to see and thought having a driver for the day would be the way to go. First, we went to Pompeii. I wanted to explore before it got too hot. Even though we arrived before 9 AM, guess what? Still too hot. We were out of there by eleven. The place was jam-packed, so I'm glad this wasn't my first visit there. Still, I enjoy it immensely. There's something new to see in Pompeii on every visit--the place is huge. It's sad to envision such a large city being devastated as Pompeii was. After Pompeii, we took a leisurely drive along the Amalfi Coast. Though there are other places I'd go if I had more than a day, for our short stop we decided to hit Positano and Sorrento. The views along the Amalfi Coast road are breathtaking--even when there's fog, as there was the day we were there. (Thanks to our driver, who took this photo!) He also stopped at a roadside stand so I could ogle the food. I love checking out what's for sale in foreign countries (as was probably apparent from my Barcelona blog.) Most tourists seem to take photos of buildings, landmarks, or (gasp!) their families. Me, I'm all about the markets and food stands. (Though I can't remember ever taking a photo of my plated food in a restaurant, something I saw others doing on my cruise ship the entire week. It's never struck me as a Thing To Do.) After grabbing some gelati--happy, happy, joy, joy--we made our way to Sorrento. The last time I was on the Amalfi Coast, we stayed in a small hotel here for three days, so I know my way around. We had a fabulous pizza lunch, then walked to the gardens near the main town square. Sorrento is known for its lemons and limoncello liquor. No wonder, when there are spectacular lemon trees absolutely everywhere. Between the fresh food and the citrus trees, I think Sorrento must be one of the best-smelling towns anywhere. Instead of having the driver face the crowded road back to Naples, we opted to take the ferry. I'm glad we did--and I'd do it again if I ever need to get from Sorrento to Naples--since the views were amazing. This was from high in Sorrento, walking down to the ferry: And this was the view from the ferry itself, as we left Sorrento: You know this setting will end up in a book, right? It's too beautiful not to spend my working hours revisiting in my mind. This is a big reason I love to travel. It's all fodder for the imagination. Next up, Italy, Day Two: Rome

Eggplant Involtini filled with cheese, salami and breadcrumbs and then baked.

La ricetta dell'abbacchio scottadito, le classiche costolette di agnello laziali rese ancora più gustose dalla salsa di soia

Dopo una lunga assenza oggi vi propongo un risotto pere e taleggio. Un classico, facile da realizzare seguendo la più tradizionale ricetta del risotto. Il risotto pere e taleggio unisce il taleggio che è un formaggio dall'odore molto forte e dal sapore consistente con la delicatezza della pera. Provatelo e fatemi sapere cosa ne pensate!

Peperoni ripieni di carne | una ricetta facile e veloce che non richiede tempo davanti ai fornelli, un piatto unico super gustoso

Panini fritti, una delle ricette La prova del cuoco di oggi 15 ottobre 2013. A preparare questa golosità rustica il mitico Gino Sorbillo che ha lasciato tutti a bocca aperta

CARCIOFI E PATATE AL FORNO - UN CONTORNO GUSTOSO E FACILE DA PREPARARE - "Avete mai provato ad aggiungere i carciofi alle patate al forno? Il risultato è davvero stratosferico: un contorno ricco e ancor più saporito che potrà accompagnare secondi di carne o pesce! La loro gratinatura aromatica vi conquisterà fin dal primo boccone! Provateli!". Video di Giallo Zafferano. INGREDIENTI PER I CARCIOFI E LE PATATE AL FORNO: Carciofi 4, Patate 500 g, Olio extravergine d'oliva 60 g, Sale fino qb, Pepe nero qb, Pangrattato macinato grosso 30 g, Prezzemolo qb, Limoni 1, Menta qb. Giallo Zafferano è il sito di cucina numero 1 in Italia! Vieni a scoprire tantissime ricette facili e veloci, dagli antipasti ai dolci passando per primi e secondi piatti sfiziosi: con noi cucinare diventa facilissimo! [VIDEO RICETTA] Carciofi e Patate al Forno - Un Contorno Gustoso e Facile da Preparare: Tutte le Video Ricette: Antipasti - Conserve di Verdure in Agrodolce - Conserve di Verdure Sottolio - Contorni - Dolci - Focacce - Italian Video Recipes - Piadine - Piatti Unici - Primi Piatti - Pizze - Ricette Vegane - Ricette Vegetariane - Secondi Piatti di Carne - Secondi Piatti di Pesce - Secondi Piatti di Verdure - Torta Rustica - Tutorial - Vellutate - Zuppe. Fonte qui Home Page Video Ricette Cucina Italiana.

Il gusto delicato degli asparagi incontra la cremosità del risotto: una ricetta semplice e raffinata per la tua tavola. Risotto agli asparagi.

PURE' DI PATATE AMERICANE AL ROSMARINO - ROSEMARY MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Le bruschette al forno morbide sono ideali per un antipasto veloce e appetitoso, senza paura che le fette di pane risultino troppo dure e secche!

Ecco come preparare facilmente le crocchette di pollo light: una versione leggera del tanto amato snack americano che piace a grandi e piccoli!

Pane di semola di grano duro. La ricetta per un pane buonissimo, soffice dentro e croccante fuori. Semplice ma molto buono.

Oggi vi propongo la ricetta della torta rustica con prosciutto e ricotta che ho imparato a fare dalla mia mamma! E' un impasto molto soffice con un ripieno gustoso. La torta rustica con prosciutto e ricotta è ottima sia fredda che calda, quindi potete prepararla anche in anticipo! Torta rustica con prosciutto e ricotta Ingredienti:

To make pear and gorgonzola on wafers, first combine the two types of flour in a bowl, along with the melted butter, the egg whites, and a pinch of sa...

On fait le plein de soleil et de saveurs avec ce tajine de poulet sucré-salé. A tester de toute urgence ! Voir la recette : Tajine de poulet aux abricots secs, petits légumes et Couscous du soleil Tipiak Mon livre ...

Le girelle alla Nutella sono soffici, meravigliosamente buone ed identiche alle originali, ma soprattutto sono sane e genuine!

La crostata con budino alle fragole e cornflakes è una semplice e molto scenografica crostata preparata con una frolla fatta con i cornflakes e guarnita da dolcissime fragole. Nonna è sempre alla ricerca di nuovi dolci da preparare che siano sempre più belli e approfittando della bella stagione ha pensato di utilizzare le fragole per guarnire questa splendida crostata un pò diversa dal solito. E’ sicura che vi piacerà tanto!

Dagelijkse inspiratie voor de praktische vrouw met recepten, gezondheid, creatieve ideeën en nog veel meer!