Paleo Sicilian Cannolis

Have you ever seen the movie The Godfather? My first time watching the movie was in my late teens. I loved the movie. One scene that always stuck out to me was the assassination of Paulie Gatto. After the murder, Clemenza said to his henchman,”Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.” At the time, I thought to myself, “What the hell is a cannoli?” I looked it up and found out what it was and was even more disturbed by the scene. After committing murder, the only thing he thought was more important were the cannolis. A second thought ran through my head, “Cannolis must be freaken delicious for it to matter more than murder. I’ve got to try one.” I did and I fell in love! So today, I am bringing cannolis back into everyone’s paleo life with this recipe for my Paleo Sicilian Cannolis.

To make these Paleo Sicilian Cannolis, I highly suggest using cannoli tubes. Traditionally, people use wooden dowels, but I find that the hollow tubes allow heat through the middle, which helps cook the cannolis evenly. They are fairly cheap and a really good investment. Second, people recommend using a pasta roller on the thickest setting. I can see how this could save a lot of time but I rolled mine out with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment paper. That’s all I have to say for now, let’s get started on these Paleo Sicilian Cannolis!

Cannoli Shells:

1½ Cup – Otto’s Natural Cassava Flour

3 Tbsp – Tapioca Starch

1 Tsp – Baking Soda

¼ Tsp – Ground Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

1 Tbsp – Honey

2 Tbsp – Dry White Wine

2 Tbsp – Gold Nugget Ghee

2 – Large Pasture Raised Eggs

1 Tsp – Orange Juice

Zest – Half an Orange

Oil for Frying

Cannoli Form Tubes

Cannoli Filling:

1 Pack – Kite Hill Almond Ricotta

1 Pack – Kite Hill Cheese Spread

1 Tsp – Orange Blossom Water

½ Tsp – Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tbsp – Gold Nugget Ghee

¼ Cup – Paleo Powdered Sugar (More for dusting)

Zest of Half an Orange

¼ Tsp – Ground Cardamom (Optional)

¼ Cup – Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

½ Cup – Supernola Goji Spice Granola (Crushed)

Other tools for Paleo Sicilain Cannolis:

1 – Large Pasture Raised Egg + 1 Tbsp Water for egg wash

Cheesecloth

Tongs

Piping bag/Large Zip Lock Bag

Note: If you allow dairy, I recommend a mixture of strained ricotta and sweet goat cheese.

paleo sicilian cannolis

Alright! I am going to be fairly brief on ingredients today, because most of them are actually fairly straight forward. For these Paleo Sicilian Cannolis to be truly authentic, don’t skip out on the orange blossom water. If you have a middle eastern grocer or an international market, call to see if they stock it. Another ingredient is the Supernola. Instead of pistachios, I prefer the Supernola because of the different nuts and seeds it has and it adds an additional layer of flavor to the cannolis. Oh man, I can’t wait to eat one. Let’s get started!

Cannoli Shell Instructions:

paleo sicilian cannolis To create the cannoli shells, preheat your frying oil to about 300ºF. Now, mix all the shell ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix it thoroughly until it forms into a dough. If you use a pasta roller, flour your dough and run it through the thickest setting. If not, divide the dough into small portions and roll it out to 1/8-inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper. I use a coffee mug to cut the circles for my cannolis. Wrap the cannolis over the tubes (pre-grease the tubes) and brush one edge of the cannoli with the egg wash. Overlap the edges and lightly pinch them together. If this is confusing, check out some cannoli Youtube videos. It will help paint the picture better. Submerge the tube into the hot oil and fry until it is nice and golden. Once out of the oil, remove the shell from the hot tube carefully while it is hot. It will stick to the tubes if you allow the shells to cool with the tubes. It’s that simple. Let’s work on the filling!

Cream Filling Instructions:

The cream filling for the Paleo Sicilian Cannolis is very easy to make. First, take your ricotta cheese and wrap it in the cheesecloth. Twist the ends shut and squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the almond ricotta. If you don’t, the filling will be too watery. Now that the ricotta is ready, mix all the filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Fill a piping bag/ziploc with the cannoli cream, snip a corner off and pipe them into the now cooled cannoli shells. Are you ready to eat one? Cause I sure am! There you have it, my Paleo Sicilian Cannolis and until next time, eat up my friends!