Cannoli shells:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 extra-large egg plus 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

2 tablespoons cold marsala or white wine

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Tapioca flour for dusting

Neutral-flavored oil, such as rice bran or canola, for frying

 

Filling:

1 pound fresh sheep’s or cow’s milk ricotta cheese, drained

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons grated orange zest

1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Mini semisweet chocolate chips for decorating (optional)

 

Directions:

To make the cannoli shells, in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and granulated sugar. With a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut or squish the butter pieces into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles sand with pebbles. Add the whole egg and mix with a fork until completely combined. Add the marsala and use your hands to combine. The dough should come together but not quite hold together. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just holds together. You may not need all the water or you may need more - the humidity of your kitchen will determine the amount. Knead the dough in the bowl for 1 minute or make it smooth and ensure that everything is evenly distributed.

 

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This will allow the liquid to distribute throughout the dough, as well as let the dough firm up a bit.

 

Dust your rolling surface with tapioca flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Place it on the floured surface and dust with tapioca flour. Roll out to a 1/8-inch thick. Using a 31/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. Place the rounds on a small plate, one on top of the other. Roll out the scraps and cut more dough rounds. Cover the stack of dough rounds with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.

 

Pour 3 to 4 inches of oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 325 F on a candy thermometer.

 

Working with one dough round at a time, brush off the tapioca flour with a pastry brush. Put the round on another plate - this will be your working plate. Place a metal cannoli tube in the middle of the dough round. Bring one side of the dough round up and over the tube, then bring the other side up and over the tube. Dip a finger in the egg wash and use it to seal the edges, pressing them together gently. You will want to feather the top edge over the bottom edge a bit to make sure that the edges are firmly sealed. If they aren’t, the tubes of dough will unwrap in the hot oil.

 

Have ready a cookie sheet lined with two layers of paper towels for draining the cannoli shells. Line a large plate with paper towels. Using tongs, carefully lower the dough-wrapped cannoli tubes into the hot oil. As you place the tubes in the oil, the oil will start to foam - this means that the dough is cooking. Cook only as many tubes as will fit comfortably in your pan, allowing some space between them so that they can fry all the way around. Fry, turning the tubes a few times so they don’t burn on the bottom, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using the tongs, remove the tubes to the lined cooking sheet to drain. Be sure to monitor the oil so that the temperature remains between 320 F and 325 F.

 

When the tubes have cooled enough that they can be handled but are still hot, gently remove the shells from the tubes and place on the lined plate to cool completely. If a shell sticks to the metal tube, place a layer or two of paper towels on the counter, then hit the end of the metal tube on the lined counter while holding the cooked shell. This should dislodge the shell.

 

Let the metal tubes stand until they are cool to the touch. Repeat the process until all the dough rounds are fried. Allow the oil to return to 325 F between batches.

 

To make the filling, place the drained ricotta in a medium bowl. Discard the liquid. Add the granulated sugar, orange zest, chocolate chips, and cinnamon (if using) and stir until combined.

 

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip. Pipe the filling into one end of each shell, then turn the shell and pipe the filling into the other end. Dust confectioners’ sugar (if using) over each cannoli. Dip the ends of the cannoli into a bowl of mini chocolate chips (if using). The cannoli should be served soon after filling, or they become soggy.

 

Store unfilled cannoli shells in an airtight container fitted with a paper towel (to absorb moisture) at room temperature for up to 7 days.

 

Makes about 20 cannoli