Cannoli with Ricotta and Chocolate Chips

If you like cannolis you will LOVE these!  Yes, they do take some time but they will be the best cannolis you have ever had.  Be sure to use whole milk ricotta.  You will also need the cannoli tubes that you can get at a specialty kitchen store like Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma. 

Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 cups whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 oz chocolate chips
zest of one orange
powdered sugar for dusting

For the shells:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBSP chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 TBSP limoncello or other lemon or orange liqueur
1 egg white, lightly beaten
canola oil, for frying

Make the filling:
Place the ricotta in a colander and pat dry with paper towels.  Take your time and get in as dry as you can.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips, and orange zest, mix until smooth.  Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a large tip.

Place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.  Don't fill the cannolis until you are ready to serve them or they will become soggy.

Make the Cannoli shells:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Using your fingertips or a food processor, blend in the butter just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Drizzle limoncello over the mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.  Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap.  The dough will still look dry and crumbly.  Gather together into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and work it into a ball.  Cut into 4 even pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out 2 or 3 (4 inch) rounds.  Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and keep covered with plastic wrap.  Roll out the the remaining dough and cut rounds the same way.  Gather the scraps, re-roll and cut again.

These were a little thick.  Roll yours out thinner.

Fill a heavy 4-quart pot with oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.  Heat over medium heat until a thermometer reads 375 degrees.  

Brush the bottom edge of 1 dough round with egg white.  Wrap a dough round around 1 cannoli tube with egg white-brushed end overlapping other end and gently press edges together to seal.  Make 5 more shells in the same manner.  Keep remaining rounds covered with plastic.
Working in batches, fry the formed shells in hot oil until a deep golden brown, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a paper towel to drain and cool for 5 minutes.  Stand the tubes upright and tap gently on the counter top to loosen the shells.  Twist the tubes to remove the shells.

Repeat with the remaining dough.  Pipe the filling into the shells and dust with powdered sugar.