The History of Cannolis

Although cannolis are one of the most popular desserts throughout Italy and the United States, not many people know the history of the cannoli. Cannolis originated in Palermo, Italy during times when Italy was still under the control of the Arabs. Cannolis were made specifically for Carnevale. Carnevale was a festival that took place in Italy right before Lent. Carnevale could be compared to Mardi Gras today with parades, parties, tons of food and masquerades. Cannolis were believed to be a symbol of fertility during these times. Today, cannolis are featured year-round at all different festivities and holidays.

The original recipe for cannolis used ricotta cheese or sweet mascarpone cheese as the base for the filling. The cheese would then be flavored with different ingredients including wine, pistachios, honey, vanilla and chocolate. Today, most cannolis that are enjoyed feature ricotta cheese. However, some cannolis contain no cheese at all. The filling in these cannolis is made of milk, sugar and custard. In the United States, there are many different twists that are put on the original cannoli recipes. These twists include different sizes, different toppings that are added, and dipping the shells in chocolate.

Although the filling of a cannoli is what gives this pastry most of its taste, the shell is the part that could make or break the dessert. Cannoli shells are typically made of flour, butter and sugar. Other spices and ingredients may be added in to give the shell some flavor. The important thing to remember about cannoli shells is that they should be light, thin and crispy. This is so the dessert is not too filling with a heavy filling and thick shell. The other important thing to remember about cannoli shells is that they can quickly absorb the moisture from the cannoli filling. If the shells absorb the moisture, they will become soggy and limp as opposed to hard and crispy. To avoid this, cannoli shells should be filled right before they are being served so they do not sit long. Also, the filling should be cold to avoid the filling becoming runny and not filling the shell properly.

Please stop by La Bottega of Farmingdale and give ours a try today!