Air-Fried Cannolis: A Quick, Easy, And Delicious Treat

Making cannolis in an air fryer is a healthier alternative to deep-frying them in oil. This method yields a delicious, crunchy, and flaky shell that pairs perfectly with the classic cannoli filling. The process is also much easier and less intimidating than traditional frying, and it uses very little oil.

To make cannoli shells in an air fryer, you'll need ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, wine, and eggs. The dough is prepared by mixing the dry ingredients, adding butter, and then combining with the wet ingredients to form a rough dough. After resting and rolling out the dough, it's cut into circles and wrapped around cannoli tubes or molds before being air-fried until golden brown.

For the filling, ricotta cheese is typically mixed with powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and sometimes chocolate chips or other mix-ins. The filling is then piped into the cooled cannoli shells, which can be dipped in chocolate or garnished with nuts, sprinkles, or citrus peel.

Overall, making cannolis in an air fryer is a convenient and tasty way to enjoy this classic Italian dessert.

How to make the cannoli dough

To make the cannoli dough, you'll need the following ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• Large egg yolk
• Dry white wine or water
• Egg white (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set this mixture aside. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, food processor, fork, two butter knives, or your hands until it forms coarse crumbs.

Next, stir in the egg yolk and wine/water until combined. The dough will be crumbly. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

If your air fryer requires preheating, set it to 400°F. Take the dough and cut it into four pieces. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface and return the rest to the refrigerator.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out 4-inch circles. Depending on how thin the dough is, you can get 4-5 circles.

Now you're ready to shape the shells! Spray your cannoli forms or tubes with cooking spray and wrap the dough around them, sealing the edges with a small amount of water.

• Chill the dough before rolling and frying to make it easier to handle and to achieve lighter and crispier shells.
• Roll out the dough thinly to ensure crispiness. Aim for about 1/8 inch thickness.
• Use wine in the dough to tenderize it and give it a classic look.
• Let the dough rest for longer before frying to allow the wine to make it more flaky.

How to make the filling

To make the filling for your air-fried cannoli, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Heavy whipping cream
• Ricotta cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Mini chocolate chips (optional)
• Finely chopped pistachios (optional)
• Orange peel (optional)

Some recipes suggest adding an extra ingredient or two to enhance the flavour of your filling. These include:

• Cornstarch
• Heavy cream
• Marsala wine
• Coconut oil
• Mascarpone
• Citrus zest

Here's a step-by-step guide to making the filling:

Start by whipping the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set this aside. In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Fold in the whipped cream until the mixture is smooth. If your ricotta cheese seems too liquid, you can strain it in the fridge for an hour or overnight. You can also put the ricotta in a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer over a bowl to remove excess liquid.

Next, add your desired mix-ins, such as mini chocolate chips or pistachios. Place the filling in the fridge or freezer to thicken.

You can also blend the filling in a food processor or blender to make it extra smooth and get rid of the ricotta-like texture.

Finally, transfer the filling to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use. When you're ready to serve, pipe the filling into your cooled cannoli shells.

How to assemble the cannolis

Once your shells and filling are ready, it's time to assemble your cannolis. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Filling the Shells

Using a pastry bag or a piping bag, pipe the filling into the cooled shells. Be careful not to overfill them, as this can cause the shells to break or become soggy. You can also use a ziplock bag with a corner cut off if you don't have a piping bag.

Step 2: Dipping the Ends

For an extra touch of flavour and texture, dip the ends of the filled cannoli shells into your chosen topping. You can use mini chocolate chips, pistachios, or a combination of both. This step is optional but adds a nice finishing touch to your dessert.

Step 3: Dusting with Powdered Sugar

For a classic cannoli look, dust the filled cannolis with powdered sugar. This will give them a beautiful, snowy appearance and add a touch of extra sweetness. Use a fine-mesh strainer to lightly coat the cannolis with the powdered sugar.

Step 4: Serving

Cannolis are best served immediately after assembly to ensure the shells remain crisp. If you need to store them, it's best to keep the shells and filling separate and fill them just before serving. Filled cannolis can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but they may become slightly soggy.

Tips for Assembly:

• It's important to fill the cannoli shells just before serving to prevent them from becoming soggy.
• If you want to add a creative twist to your cannolis, you can garnish them with various toppings like crushed pistachios, mini chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, or thinly sliced orange peel.
• For an extra crunchy shell, you can dip the ends of the cannoli shells in chocolate before filling them.

How to fry the shells

Ingredients

To make the shells, you will need the following ingredients:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Butter
• Egg
• Wine (dry white wine, marsala wine, or red wine)
• Cooking spray or oil

Method

First, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter into small chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Mix until it resembles lumpy breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor, a stand mixer, or do this by hand.

Next, add the egg and wine and mix until a rough dough forms. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more wine. Once it comes together, finish kneading the dough by hand on a floured surface until it is smooth. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Leave the dough on the countertop to rest for 2 hours, or place it in the refrigerator if you are making the filling at the same time.

Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on a lightly floured surface. This may require some patience as the dough is quite elastic. If you have a pasta machine, use this to roll out the dough. The dough should be thin enough that you can see your fingers through it.

Using a circular cookie cutter, cut the rolled-out dough into circles. The size of the circles will depend on the length of your cannoli tubes, but around 4 inches should work well.

Brush your cannoli tubes or molds with cooking spray or a little oil. Wrap the dough circles around the cannoli tubes and seal the edges with a small amount of egg wash (egg yolk or egg white). Press firmly on the seam to prevent the dough from unraveling.

Brush your air fryer basket lightly with oil or spray with cooking spray. Place the first batch of cannoli shells into the basket, ensuring they do not touch each other. Spray the shells lightly with cooking spray or brush with oil. Fry for 4-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until golden brown.

Once the shells are golden brown, remove them from the air fryer and place them on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Allow the shells to cool completely before removing them from the cannoli tubes.

Repeat the process with the remaining shells, frying in small batches. Allow the air fryer to preheat between batches.

Tips

• It is important to brush or spray the air fryer basket with oil before frying the shells. This will prevent the shells from sticking.
• Fry the cannoli shells in small batches to allow them enough space to crisp up nicely.
• Let the shells cool completely before removing them from the cannoli tubes. The tubes will still be quite hot, and the shells may break easily.
• Do not cover the bottom of your air fryer basket with aluminum foil, as this will prevent the air fryer from working correctly and may result in soggy shells.
• If you are making a large batch, prepare the next batch of shells while the first batch fries.
• The dough circles should be kept covered with plastic wrap while you work to prevent them from drying out.

How to store the cannolis

To store cannoli effectively, it is best to keep the shells and filling separate. This will ensure the shells stay crisp and crunchy, and the filling stays fresh.

If you are storing homemade cannoli, place the filling in a piping bag and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The shells can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week. When you are ready to serve, fill the shells and keep the assembled cannoli in the refrigerator.

If you are buying cannoli from a bakery, ask for the filling in a separate icing bag and keep it refrigerated. Place the shells in a cake tin and fill them when you are ready to serve.

To keep the shells crunchy for a little longer, you can coat the inside of the shell with chocolate or white chocolate. This will change the flavour and texture slightly, but it is a good option if you want to make them last a little longer.

You can also try wrapping each cannoli in wax paper, then aluminium foil, and placing them in a ziplock bag. This method will help keep them fresh for a day or two.

Frequently asked questions