Cannoli are a slightly sweet Sicilian confection and came out of the Saracen occupation which heavily influenced the island's cooking. The traditional version of the pastry uses little sugar and therefore its not as sweet as other desserts that cross the American palette. Many Americans use the word cannolis when referring to more than one but the term cannoli is actually the plural and when ordering a single pastry one should properly ask for a conolo. www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Cannoli

Cannoli are a slightly sweet Sicilian confection and came out of the Saracen occupation which heavily influenced the island's cooking. The traditional version of the pastry uses little sugar and therefore is not as sweet as other desserts that cross the American Palette. Many Americans use the word cannolis when referring to more than one but the term cannoli is actually the plural and when ordering a single pastry one should properly ask for a conolo. www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Cannoli

The crust of cannoli is made from a mixture of flour, butter, and sugar and additional ingredients required t make the proper consistency. This dough is flattened, rolled and cut into ovals of the desired size. The pastry pieces are then wrapped around a tube to obtain the proper shape and then deep fried.

Cannoli originated in Palermo and the surrounding areas and were originally made for Carnival, or as it was known then Carnivale, which is a festival that occurs before Lent and is one last fling before the fasting begins. ezinearticles.com/?A-History-of-Cannoli&id=1264307 During Lent Christians were not supposed to eat meat and the word Carnivale means “to put away the meat”. www.carnivalpower.com/history_of_carnival.htm

The main ingredients of traditional cannoli are either ricotta cheese, a type of made from whey, or sweetened mascarpone, a double or triple cow’s milk cheese. Additional ingredients may include pistachio, vanilla, marsala wine, rosewater or many other flavors that may be available. ezinearticles.com/?A-History-of-Cannoli&id=1264307

When the Sicilian immigrants arrived at in the United States they discovered that many of the ingredients that had been used in the old country were not available so they made modifications to their recipes. While ricotta cheese was still available in some areas mascarpone was extremely scarce so added to the possible fillings was a custard made from sugar milk and cornstarch. ezinearticles.com/?A-History-of-Cannoli&id=1264307

This dessert is one of the many items that have survived the trip from Europe to the Americas and survived into modern times. Modern cannoli made in America range from the traditional slightly sweet version to variations that are sweet enough for the American tongue.

Cannoli should be served immediately after filling as the shell will become soggy if allowed to sit for to long.