The Daring Baker

SPUMONI CANNOLI

Now I'm wondering if I'm a day or two late. I saved my 'cannoli' making for today--a post Thanksgiving treat! We'll see. I'm brand new at trying to be a Daring Baker, but love the idea of a monthly challenge.

Now that the cannoli are completed, and filled with a semi-spumoni like filling, they'll be frozen and served as the gelato part of a Cake and Cream Duo for a birthday celebration later this week. Enjoy the journey through this recipe...we'll see where it takes us!

Spumoni Cannoli

Cannoli:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 T sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 T unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

3 T vegetable oil

1/2 cup marsala (I substituted Sherry)

1 cup dark chocolate morsels, 60% cacao

1 T butter

One-half cup chopped pecans

Whisk dry ingredients, then in standing mixer begin adding liquids while blending. When adding wine, add just enough to bring the mixture together into a nice ball. Remove ball from mixer to floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Form into ball, cover with saran wrap and place in frig for 2 hours, or overnight.

Divide dough into four pieces. Dust with flour. Roll each piece using pasta attachment on mixer to very thin, four inch wide sheet. (If not using pasta attachment, halve dough and roll until very thin.)

Cut dough into 4-5 inch rounds.

Place dough circle around greased cannoli form, sticking edge together with beaten egg white.

Bring 3 inches vegetable oil to 375 degrees in large heavy pot. Slip cannoli into pot (don't overcrowd) and cook about two minutes, turning while they are cooking. Remove from oil with spider strainer, and drain.

Remove cannoli from form with tongs and place on paper towels to completely dry and cool.

Repeat with remaining dough.

When cannoli are dry and cool, melt chocolate with butter over low heat in double boiler just until smooth. Dip one end of cannoli into chocolate, and then into chopped pecans. Stand to dry.

Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

2 T cherry brandy or Grand Marnier

Beat heavy cream and sugar until thick and holds stiff peaks.

Fold in cherries and brandy.

Place cream filling into zip-lock bag. Snip end, and squeeze to fill cannoli.

Place filled cannoli on sheet pan and freeze.

When frozen, place into zip-lock bags and leave in freezer until ready to serve.