Il Cannolo

Crisp on the outside, cool and creamy within — the cannolo is Sicily's proudest export, and one of the few desserts that must be assembled at the very last moment, or the shell surrenders to the filling. Once a treat reserved for Carnival, now a year-round obsession. The real secret is not the shell, but a properly drained ricotta — rushed ricotta means a runny, forgettable filling.

1. Line a sieve with cheesecloth set over a bowl, spoon in the ricotta, fold the cloth over it, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to drain off the excess whey.
2. Beat the drained ricotta with the icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth and no longer grainy.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Refrigerate the filling for at least an hour — it pipes much more cleanly when cold.
5. Fill a piping bag with the ricotta cream.
6. Pipe the filling into the cannoli shells from both ends, just before serving.
7. Dust with icing sugar and finish with a few extra chocolate chips at the tips.