What are cannoli?
mmmmm…..If you have never had one, go to a real Italian bakery and get one! There are different types of cannoli, depending on what region it is from. My family is from the northern, mountanous region of Italy and I must say our cannolis are mmwah (finger to the lips with sound) delicious! It’s a just a tad sweetened with powdered sugar ricotta filling stuffed into a crispy round, hollow shell of pastry dough. There are options for toppings or addins, such as pistacios, chocolate chips. Some people add marchino cherries as well. Anyway you put it, yum, yum, yum!
In The Godfather one of the most celebrated lines is “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” The line implies that even tough Sicilians who have just committed murder are not about to forget this famous dessert, originating in Sicily over 1000 years ago. Murder is fortunately not a prerequisite to getting good cannoli, often incorrectly called “cannolis” by people in the US. Italian American bakeries showcase cannoli in all seasons, not just as a Carnivale dessert, which history suggests was the inspiration for cannoli.
