Cannoli

We made cannoli for Daring Bakers’ November challenge. To be honest, there is not much love between cannoli and me. I did not particularly find anything special with them then and it is the same now. Aside from this lack of affection, the cheapskate that I am, I cannot be persuaded to purchase anything that I do not think I will use at least 10,000 times or, at least, something that I can pass on as an heirloom; hence, I did not find parting with $30 for cannoli forms necessary.



What I used were muffin cups, so I had coppas di cannoli instead, for which, I am sure, purists would hurl a thousand cruel Italian expletives at me. I also baked them instead of frying them. My first two attempts at frying the dough yielded not the hoped for result. I do not know why this is the case since I fry excellent churros and empanadas :( .



Any way, my favorite part of this exercise is what I saw when I pulled my ricotta out of the delicates wash bag which I used in place of cheesecloth. It looked absolutely like a chicken’s bum!



CANNOLI

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.

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.

Meatballs Stewed in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Storm season in Brisbane, when the wind is high and the nights are dark, kindles romance in the hearth. And when I say romance, I meant that the nights are conducive to recreating fanciful inspirations from the Arabian nights ~ beef or lamb (which we may be led to imagine the sheikhs and sultans feasted on in the tale), spices, and longevity.

Seriously, you can whip up a batch of these and eat them slowly for a week or so (stored properly in the fridge, of course!). I’ve tried to replicate the texture of adana kebab in the meatballs and stewed these slowly in a tomato sauce that has been enriched with herbs and spices. The spice is more sweet than hot and although the combination is rich, it is far from being cloying.

All you need is a plateful of couscous or rice or pasta or even, bread (anyway, your carb of choice) and a crisp cool salad and you’ve got a veritable banquet before you!

Meatballs Stewed in a Spicy Tomato Sauce



Meatballs:
500 g Ground beef (don’t get the lean variety)
1 T each Black pepper, Sugar, Soy sauce
2 t each Chilli powder, Oregano, Thyme
½ t each Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Ginger
1 T Vegetable oil
½ c Semolina
½ pc Onion, minced
¼ c Garlic, minced

Sauce:
2 T Butter
1 T Olive oil
½ pc Onion, minced
1 T Sugar
¼ c Garlic, minced
½ t each Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice
1 c Wine
2 pcs Bay leaves
1 t each Oregano, Thyme
1 tin Cubed stewed tomatoes
2 t Paprika
Salt, black pepper, and chilli powder, to taste

Combine all the meatball ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Shape them into large meatballs, which are about 1 ½ inch in diameter.

Heat 1 T of butter in a pot. Brown the meatballs. Add the remaining butter, olive oil, and minced onion. Saute this until the onions are wilted before adding the sugar, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Saute this until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Add the tomatoes and paprika. Stir and season to taste. Let he stew simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Stuffed Bamboo Fungus on a bed of Egg Whites

After such a long respite, going back to the workforce is no joking matter. The sleep deprivation and constant adrenaline rush catching the bus, the ferry, and later in the work day, closing offices, take their toll on the human body so much so that one collapses on the couch shortly after a quick m.s.g.-laden dinner of instant noodles.

Merely a week into my conscientious efforts at saving time and effort on cooking when I finally got tired of Nissin’s flavor selection and summoned enough energy to cook some real food, which requires at least a couple of hours of leisurely prep.

The result was, of course, stupendously satisfying ~ what with the varying textures and nuances of flavor that simply cannot be matched by instant ramen (no matter how delicious I truly find them) with their accompanying spice packets.



You may have trouble finding bamboo fungus in your area. (There is apicture of a pack of it on the far right of the picture on right.) I saw numerous entries on the internet irreverently likening its form to that of condoms. Do not be put off by this disgusting comparison. Bamboo fungi are quite bland on their own, but they absorb the flavors you cook them with admirably well. What I truly like about them is their springy crisp texture which is completely unique. It is like biting into an intricate fibrous network, which makes for a wonderful experience as your teeth sink into one layer after another of crisp tenderness (you will understand this oxymoron better when you have bitten into one yourself).

Before I bore you anymore with this eternal spring of rhapsodies, let me tell you what you can do if you cannot find bamboo fungus. A suitable substitute would be slicing gourd of most kinds (wintermelon, hairy melon, sponge gourd, or even zucchini) into long rectangular shapes and quite thinly (thickness, not shape). You can lay the stuffing on one end and roll the vegetable up like a scroll or a sushi roll, while making sure to tuck the stuffing in neatly at both open ends. Secure the end of each roll with a toothpick before cooking.

I am giving you a recipe for about a third of what is seen in the pictures. I made too many; and consequently, my plating is heavy, messy, and not as nice as if there are less (or if I had a larger serving plate).




Stuffed Bamboo Fungus on a bed of Egg Whites

12 – 15 pcs. Bamboo fungus, washed and soaked in water

Stuffing:
125 g Chicken thigh, skinned, boned, and chopped
125 g Prawns, shelled and cleaned
10 g Pork fat / Fatty bacon
½ T Garlic, minced
2 Stalks of Scallions, chopped
1 t Ginger, chopped
1 T Rice wine
1 T Corn starch
2 t Salt
1 t Pepper

Egg whites:
3 Egg whites
2 c Water

Sauce and Garnishes:
2 c Stock (Chicken, Pork, Seafood, or Dashinomoto)
2 t Corn starch dissolved in 1 T water
Dash of Sesame oil
1/3 c Carrot slices, blanched, to decorate
2 Shiitake mushrooms, poached, to decorate
2 Prawns, shelled and cleaned
1 Sprig Coriander, washed, to decorate


To make the stuffing, place all the Stuffing ingredients in a food processor and grind until a sticky smooth paste forms. Place this in a piping bag with a plain / round large tip. Squeeze the water out of the bamboo fungi and when they are dry, stuff them one by one. Carefully, to avoid tearing the bamboo fungus, stretch one end of it wide enough for the piping bag tip to fit. Pinching the other end together (so the stuffing would not be forced out of the other end of the tube of bamboo fungus), start piping gently, but forcefully. When the tube feels full and snug with stuffing, neatly press both ends to tuck and level the stuffing. Repeat with the other tubes.

To make the shredded egg whites, simmer 2 c. of water in a 6-8 inch saucepan. Pour in the egg whites. Let this poach for about 3-4 minutes. Take the egg white out while being careful not to tear it. Roll it up and slice crosswise thinly (1/8 inch) so that you end up with shreds when the slices unfurl. Set aside.

To make the sauce and garnish, simmer the stock. You can blanch the carrot slices and cook the shiitakes and prawns in this. Take the garnish out of the stock when they are done. Place the bamboo fungus in the simmering stock. Leave them for a few minutes before turning the tubes (to ensure the entire circumference absorbs the liquid). When the stuffing is cooked through, take the tubes out with a slotted spoon. Thicken the stock with the cornstarch solution. Add the sesame oil then turn off the heat.

To assemble, Place the shredded egg whites in the center of a serving plate. Arrange the tubes around them in a sunray pattern. Drizzle sauce over this arrangement. Place the carrot slices on top of a third of the egg whites. Place the shiitake mushrooms on top of the egg whites next to the carrots and the prawns next to the mushrooms, overlapping the mushrooms and carrots a bit. Glaze with more of the stock. Top with a sprig of coriander that has been bent to curve into a gentle circle. Serve hot.