Tubes:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup wine
pistachio nuts, ground

Mix flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder. Work in the shortening and add wine a little at a time; knead well. Take a piece of dough the size of a nickel and roll it very thin, and put this loosely around a cannoli tube, and pinch ends together.

Deep Fry in shortening or Crisco and when nicely browned, remove carefully and place on brown paper to cool. Carefully remove tubes from cannoli by pushing gently through so as not to break the pastry.

Filling:

3 pounds ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups milk
8 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, ground
2 1/2 cups sugar (superfine sugar is best - use a little less, if desired)

Bring milk to boil over low heat (a double boiler may be used, or use a metal bowl over a saucepan).

Mix cornstarch and sugar until combined, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Allow to cook for 30 minutes then set aside to cool. This will make a custard.

Beat the cheese until creamy, add cornstarch custard (prepared above), and ground chocolate. Beat until fluffy. Fill the pastry shells on both ends, then dip ends in ground pistachio nuts and dust with powdered sugar.

Cannoli can be kept indefinitely in a cool place and filled as needed. Cannoli tubes are available from kitchen supply stores or online. If they are not available, a large wooden dowel may be used (historically, they were wrapped around broomsticks!)

Submitted by: CM