Do you know what a cannoli is? It’s a sweet hard fried shell with a sweet creamy goodness inside. I know….I had you at fried…..YUMMY!!!
The very first time I had one of these delicious treats was the first time my husband and I found ourselves in Italy. We did a short tour of duty in Northern Italy for 3 months when I was active duty. That trip was my first taste of living overseas for any period of time and I fell in love with it. The first time I tried a cannoli I wasn’t impressed because I was use to the overly sweet desserts we have in the states. However, after being there awhile you begin to love the fact that Europeans don’t sweeten their desserts as much as we do. So the next time I tried it, I was instantly in love and became addicted to them. I would try them just about any place that would offer them. Of course, everyone has their version.
In Venice, the ones I tried were smaller and had different flavors like lemon, chocolate, and vanilla cream. I’ve tried some here in Germany; the fried shell had a hard candy coating with toasted almonds with the same similar fillings. These fillings were a little thicker and not very fluffy yet still delicious. Not quite what I was looking for BUT I would never turn down a cannoli.
WELL….I tried a cannoli in Catania, Sicily at a little cafe right off of the town center…..MIND BLOWN. It was a white creamy ricotta filling with chopped pistachios sprinkled on the sides. It looked simple but ohhhhhhh it was the most delicious cannoli I had ever tasted. It had a creamy smooth texture that was light and fluffy. I’m not even crazy about pistachios but I’ve learned that fresh ones are better and the crunch it added to the cannoli was perfect. After this cannoli I decided that I would keep having them at every opportunity until we left Sicily…LOL. That sounded reasonable to me.
If you ever want to try one of the best cannoli’s EVER…make sure you try one if you ever find yourself in Sicily!!!!.