30-Minute Lemon Ricotta Cannoli

An iconic Sicilian pastry with a crisp and flaky shell, the cannoli makes the perfect husk to encase some seriously toothsome flavours for filling, usually ricotta. Ours here has incorporated lemon zest for an additional zing, a combination that'll have you reaching for more.

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Difficulty Level: 2/5

Ingredients

• 30 g butter
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tbsps plain flour
• ½ tsp almond essence
• Icing sugar, to serve

FILLING

• 500 g fresh ricotta
• ½ cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Steps

01. Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.

02. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 min, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and quickly stir in flour and almond essence. Cool for 5 min.

03. Drop well-spaced tablespoons of mixture onto trays. Bake for 7 mins or until bubbling, and spread to 10 cm in diameter. Remove from oven and cool for 1 min.

04. Working quickly, lift each one and wrap loosely around the handle of a large rolling pin. Leave to set for 1 min. gently slip off and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining mixture.

05. To make filling, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, icing sugar. lemon juice and zest. Mix well and keep chilled. Spoon into cooled shells. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au