Apple Cannoli

“We love this classic Italian dessert because you can truthfully fill the shells with whatever is in season! They’re a flaky pastry vessel for anything sweet and delicious. We initially brought this on the menu and filled it with a vanilla aquafaba, then changed it to this Apple Butter for autumn.” – Acorn by Shira Blustein and Brian Luptak.

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Apple Cannoli

Course Main Course

Servings 6 servings

Author Shira Blustein and Brian Luptak, authors of Acorn

Ingredients

Salted Diced Apple

• 3 Gala apples cut into small dice
• 3 Granny Smith apples cut into small dice
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Apple Butter

• 6 allspice berries
• 5 cardamom pods
• 3 cloves
• 6 Gala apples cored and sliced
• ½ cup pitted Medjool dates
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup soy milk

Cannoli Shells

• ½ tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour + ½ cup for dusting the dough
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup soda water
• 8 cups canola oil

Apple Butter Cream

• 1¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup Apple Butter

Instructions

Salted Diced Apple

• In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, then spread the apples out evenly on a dehydrator sheet.
• Dry on medium (145°F) for 12 hours. Alternatively, you can dry them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in your oven at 165°F (with the door cracked open) for approximately 4 hours.
• Once fully dry and crispy, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Apple Butter

• In a medium saucepot on medium-high heat, toast the allspice berries, cardamom, and cloves for 30 seconds to 1 minute to release the oils and aromatics.
• Remove from the heat and place on a cheesecloth, then tie the cheesecloth into a sachet. Lower the heat to medium, add the apples and dates to the pot, and sweat until the apples start to caramelize. Add ¼ cup water and the sugar, salt, cinnamon, and spice sachet and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has completely reduced and the mixture is dark and caramelized.
• Stir in the soy milk and continue to cook for 5 more minutes then remove from the heat. Working in small batches, transfer the mixture to a Vitamix and puree to a smooth consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Cannoli Shells

• To make a flax egg, place the ground flaxseeds and 1½ tbsp water in a small bowl and mix well.
• Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, and add the flax egg, sugar, cinnamon, vegetable shortening, and soda water. Mix on low speed until everything is incorporated.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, form it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 3 days. If tightly wrapped, this dough will also freeze well for up to 6 months.

Shape the Cannoli

• Remove the dough from the fridge and split it into 12 evenly sized balls (these will weigh about 0.4 oz and be approximately 1 tbsp of dough each).
• Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball to a 4-inch circle. Lightly dust each circle with flour.
• Set up a bowl of water with a pastry brush before you begin shaping. Using stainless-steel cannoli forms, wrap each circle of dough loosely around the forms, making sure there is a slight gap between the dough and the tube.
• Brush the edge of the dough with water to help the dough to stick to itself. Overlap the dough slightly by approximately ½ inch and press the dough down onto itself, pinching the edges lightly to secure.

Fry the Cannoli

• In a heavy-bottomed, high-sided pot, heat the canola oil to 350°F. Working in small batches, carefully drop the cannoli tubes (still wrapped to the forms) into the oil and fry until golden, rotating halfway through cooking to make sure all sides are cooked, approximately 2 minutes.
• Using tongs, carefully remove the cannoli shells from the pot and transfer to a kitchen towel or paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Allow them to cool for 1 minute before handling.
• Carefully slide the cannoli off the forms and repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
• Allow the cannoli shells to fully cool, then store in a dry, airtight container until you are ready to serve.
• Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Apple Butter Cream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, place the cream, icing sugar, milk powder, and vanilla extract.
• Whip on high speed until fluffy and thick. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can whisk the cream by hand—it just might take a little longer!
• Turn the speed down to medium and fold in the Apple Butter. Once folded, remove the bowl from the mixer and hand-mix with a spatula to make sure the Apple Butter is well incorporated.
• Transfer to a piping bag and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before filling your cannoli shells.

Notes

NOTE: You will need cannoli forms to make this recipe. You can buy them at your local
kitchen supply store.

Excerpted from Acorn by Shira Blustein. Copyright © 2021 Shira Blustein. Photography by Gabriel Cabrera. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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