Italian Cannoli: Dessert Filled with Historical Traditions (2024)

The Italian Cannoli dessert is made of three traditional components:

• Rolled-up dough called scorza (“crust” or “peel”) that looks like a bow tie wrap.
• Fracitura, the creamy filling that has various interpretations nowadays.
• Toppings (called “guarnizione”) dusted on top with a thin layer of powdered sugar. Some will add on each edge of the Cannoli a slice of candied fruit (like maraschino cherry), chocolate drops, or chopped pistachio/hazelnuts.

The Sicilian dough is made of five key ingredients (some of them are hard to guess). The shell dough is prepared with sugar, eggs, Marsala wine, vinegar and… lard. Yes, lard, as in pig fat! This is actually an essential ingredient. Once the dough is worked and moulded into the iconic tube shell (using special moulds), it is deep-fried into lard. Yes, authentic Cannolis require loads of lard to get the savoury flavour and crunchy texture. Other bakers can opt for vegetable oil, but you’ll miss out on the traditional taste.

As the quality of this pastry is judged by the crispiness of the shell and the soft creaminess of the filling, Sicilian bakers will fill up the filling only a few minutes before serving it. Some bakers will cover the inner walls of the shell with a thin chocolate coating, thus shielding the dough from the moisture of the filling.

Stainless Steel Cannoli moulds (Ateco @ Webstaurant Store)

When it comes to fillings, the classic Sicilian filling requires sheep ricotta cheese (apart from Ragusa). As sheep can find fresh green grass between the month of October to May, most of the sheep Ricotta cheese production is done between autumn and spring. That’s why local Sicilians will prefer eating other Sicilian desserts, like cassata cake (layered sponge cake infused with cream and alcohol), torrone and marzipan during the summertime.

As sheep Ricotta is very hard to find in North America, the filling is generally made of cow ricotta cheese. To make the filling creamy, it is recommended to use 100% whole milk Ricotta cheese. If you use skim milk Ricotta cheese, the filling may separate and become watery, making the pastry shell very soggy. It is important to strain the Ricotta cheese overnight and remove any excess liquid. Some even suggest substituting 50% of the Ricotta cheese portion with Mascarpone cheese or with heavy whipping cream if sheep Ricotta is not available. Adding powdered sugar and mixing it well thickens the filling. The creaminess and the acidic flavour of Ricotta blend perfectly with the sweet sugar. That combination creates an irresistible dessert that will leave you longing for another bite. Sicilians often have one or two Cannoli for lunch—it’s something they just can’t live without.

Venetian Cannoli with vanilla bean custard fillings (Con Gusto Bakery)

Another version of this delicious treat comes from Venetia, the area of Venice. The Venetian dessert is slightly different than the Sicilian version. Here are a few distinctions:

• The Venetian shell is in a cylinder shape while the Sicilian shell looks like a bow tie wrap.
• While the Sicilian dough is deep-fried, the Venetian dough is baked.
• The traditional Venetian filling is made of heavy cream cheese mixed with vanilla bean.

Other filling alternatives include chocolate custard, strawberry, caramel, and pistachio fillings.

Cannoli with pistachio cream and nut filling (Cannoli Queens)

Dattilo Euro bar Cannoli, 23 cm long (Trip Advisor)

The Tales Behind The Famous Italian Cannoli

According to Italian historians, something very similar to a Cannolo already existed in the Roman period. In 70 BC, in one of Domenicus Caveosanus‘ literary works, the great orator and merchant Marcus Tullius Cicero mentioned a “tubus farinarius, dulcissimo, edulio ex lacte factus” (“A tube prepared with flour and stuffed with a very sweet filling made of milk”).

The Italian Cannolis evolved during the Arabs, Bergers and Spanish Muslims (Saracen) times. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, Sicily was ruled mainly by Arabs who introduced sugar into the city of Caltanissetta, or “Kalt El Nissa.” This Arabic name translates to “Castle of the women,” rightfully representing the birthplace of Saracen’s harem. Harem was a separate area of a Muslim household in which wives, concubines, and female servants lived. The women, at that time, devoted their entire time to their husbands and cooked up beautiful desserts to please them. And you guessed it, one of the desserts they made was Cannoli! This dessert is believed to be influenced by other Middle Eastern traditional foods such as Zaynab’s/Zainab’s fingers that are filled with nuts or Bourak/Burek/Börek, a phyllo-based egg roll that can be filled with cheese, meat or spinach.

Asabe Zainab (Zainab’s fingers) is traditionally made with cream cheese in Oman (Middle East Eye)

Sicilian Cannolis with ricotta and dark chocolate chips (Café les Cousins)

Cannoli filled with Nutella custard, garnished with roasted hazelnuts and icing sugar (Italia Bakery)

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