Sicilian Cannoli

Place the sheep's milk ricotta in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, cover, and leave in the refrigerator for 8 hours to drain off the excess whey.

Sift the flour, add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lard. Pour in the Marsala and wine vinegar, add the egg, and quickly work into a firm dough. Wrap it and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1.5–2 mm and cut out 6 rounds roughly 10 cm in diameter. Wrap each round around a metal cannoli tube, brush the edges with beaten egg, and press to seal.

Heat oil for frying to 175–180°C. Fry the shells in batches until golden and bubbly, turning occasionally. Transfer to paper towels, let cool, then carefully slide out the metal molds.

Push the drained ricotta through a sieve, mix with powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the cream for 2 hours.

Fill the cooled shells with the cream just before serving so they stay crisp. Dip the ends in chopped pistachios and candied orange peel, and dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.