Okay, so I was watching Giada this morning from her rooftop in Florence, Italy. She proceeded to make cannoli with a renowned pastry chef. It’s not bad enough that she is willowy, well endowed, gorgeous, and the grand daughter of Oscar De Laurentis. She also has a smile that goes on for days, and the ability to eat whatever she wants.  I am for lack of a better word, envious. What a life!

Needless to say after watching this episode I had the greatest desire for a cannoli. What if I could make the cannoli shells in my air fryer? It would definitely be more waist friendly but it still has to have good texture and flavor. After looking up several recipes on the internet I came up with this version.

While it looks like there are a lot of steps they are short and simple. My cannoli tubes came from Amazon.com and were very inexpensive. Just make sure you use caution when removing them from your air fryer, they will be very hot. I used tongs, being careful not to break the shells.

By my calculations for 30 servings, my recipe is 5 Smart Points per cannoli. You can add some grated chocolate, chopped nuts, or chopped candied cherries. Any extras will also add additional points. So pick your poison! I liked mine without the fanfare.

Air Fryer Cannoli

Ingredients:

Shells:

• 4 C all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 T sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 C white wine

Filling:

• 1 lb ricotta cheese, drained
• 3/4 C powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t cinnamon

Directions:

Filling:

1. Drain the ricotta for about 1-2 hours. I use a paper towel lined fine mesh sieve over a bowl.
2. Combine the ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Use a hand mixer or a hand whip.
3. Put filling into a piping bag, I use baggies, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Shells:

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter
3. Add egg yolks; stir with a fork
4. Stir in wine, 1 T at a time, using a fork until the dough clings together
5. Form a ball with the dough and let stand for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.
6. Take a small amoutn of dough at a time, keeping the remainder covered. Roll dough almost paper thin, on a well floured surface.
7. Using a 4 inch cookie cutter, or you can use a glass (martini glass works well) and cut into circles. Keep covered until ready to fry.
8. Roll each circle of dough around a metal cannoli tube that has been lightly rubbed with cooking spray, overlapping the ends and press to seal, flare out the edges slightly
9. Place 4 of the cannoli in the air fryer at 380 degrees for 5 minutes, open the air fryer and turn them over and fry for an additional 2 minutes.
10. Remove from the fryer and place seam side down on a paper towel.
11. Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove the cannoli form. Hold the cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out on one end. Leave them on the paper towel to cool completely.

Filling the cannoli:

1. Cut a hole in the piping bag and fill each cannoli at both ends, being carefull not over or under fill them. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, lightly.
2. Serve immediately

Note: Unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container for serveral days prior to filling. Fill as needed and always serve immediately.

 

Til next time,

Ciao xoxo