Blistered Cannoli Shells

Julia's pistachio cannoli earned Tiffany's praise for snapping in the "best kind of way," a textbook result. 

Authentic Sicilian cannoli shells use a dough of flour, sugar, a pinch of cocoa, cold butter or lard, and Marsala wine, which both flavors the dough and creates the signature bubbly blisters. 

Roll the dough very thin (about 1/16 inch), cut into rounds, wrap around metal cannoli tubes, and seal the seam with egg white. Fry in neutral oil at 350 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 seconds until deep golden. The crucial rule: never fill shells in advance. Ricotta's moisture turns them soggy within the hour. Drain the ricotta overnight in a cheesecloth for a thick, pipeable filling.