Crunchy cannoli with cardamom cream

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Roberto Petza brings a twist to this classic Sicilian cannoli dessert recipe by adding a touch of cardamom to the cream filling. It is served with warm, beautifully spiced pear and lemon marmalade.

First published in 2017

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Lemon marmalade

  • 250g of lemon
  • 500g of caster sugar

Poached pears

  • 2 pears, peeled, cored and quartered lengthways
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 2g of coriander seeds
  • 2g of black peppercorns
  • 1 star anise
  • 125g of caster sugar
  • 125ml of red wine, Cannonau

Cardamom cream

  • 250g of mascarpone
  • 250g of double cream
  • 100g of sugar
  • 1 gelatine leaf
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1g of ground cardamom

Cannoli

  • 60g of butter, softened
  • 50g of glucose
  • 40g of 00 flour
  • 100g of icing sugar
  • 50g of ground almonds

Garnish

Equipment

  • Pestle and mortar
  • Sugar thermometer
  • Food processor
  • Piping bags
  • Sterilised jars 2
  • Cannoli moulds 8
  • Silicone baking mat

Method

1
Start by making the lemon marmalade. Boil the lemons for about 90 minutes or until the skins are very soft
2
Plunge the lemons into ice water then finely chop. Return to a pan with 500ml water and the sugar. Bring to the boil and allow the liquid to reduce for half an hour
  • 500g of caster sugar
3
Remove the seeds from the marmalade and store in sterilised jars
4
To make the poached pears, grind the spices using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 2g of coriander seeds
  • 2g of black peppercorns
  • 1 star anise
5
Make a thick syrup with the wine, sugar, 1 tsp of the ground spices and 250ml water by heating in a pan until the sugar has dissolved
  • 125ml of red wine, cannonau
  • 125g of caster sugar
6
Place the pear quarters in a vacuum bag, add the syrup and seal. Place in a steam oven up to 70% and steam at 70°C for about 20 minutes. If you don't have a vac pac machine you can simmer the pears in the syrup for 8–10 minutes or until soft but not mushy
  • 2 pears, peeled, cored and quartered lengthways
7
To make the cardamom cream, bring the sugar and 150ml of water to 110°C to make a sugar syrup. Soak the gelatine in cold water. Once soft, squeeze out all the excess liquid
  • 100g of sugar
  • 1 gelatine leaf
8
Whisk the egg yolks with the ground cardamom and add the syrup little by little. Add the gelatine and whisk until the mixture becomes cold
9
Whip the cream until its just about to form stiff peaks. Fold into the egg mixture with the mascapone, transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate for at least an hour
  • 250g of double cream
  • 250g of mascarpone
10
Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3
11
For the cannoli, mix all the ingredients in a food processor until you obtain a smooth and consistent mixture. Spread onto a silicone baking mat and bake for 20 minutes
  • 60g of butter, softened
  • 50g of glucose
  • 40g of 00 flour
  • 100g of icing sugar
  • 50g of ground almonds
12
Remove from the oven and working quickly, cut into 8cm sheets and roll into cylinders around cannoli moulds. Allow to cool
13
To plate, pipe a lime of lemon marmalade on each plate. Place a slice of warm pear in the middle, fill the cannoli with the cardamom cream and place one on top of each pear. Garnish with mint leaves, edible flowers and a light dusting of icing sugar
First published in 2017

From carpentry to cooking, Roberto Petza's culinary prowess has finally found a home in a remote village on the island of Sardinia.

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