Apart from all other things, Italy is famous for Cannoli; an essential part of the Sicilian cuisine. Looking back in time, these desserts were prepared as mouth-watering treats during the Carnevale season. Cannoli refers to two or more pastries and cannolo refers to a single treat. Recipe #1 Ingredients

• Cannoli shells - 6
• Heavy cream - 2 cups
• Shelled hazelnuts - 1 cup
• Vanilla - ½ teaspoon
• Pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped - ¼ cup
• Granulated sugar - ½ cup
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions: 1) Fill the baking sheet with some hazel and toast for 15-18 minutes, in a preheated oven at 350 ºF. Get rid of the brown skins of the nuts. You can do this by rubbing them in a kitchen towel. Thereafter, crack the nuts, keeping them enclosed in the towel. 2) Now, take a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, whip some cream until thick. Then, beat in some granulated sugar and the vanilla. Fold in the cracked nuts and pistachios. Now, all you have to do is to stuff the cannoli shells with the nut cream. Recipe #2 Ingredients for Shells

• All-purpose flour - 1½ cups
• Dry red wine - ½ cup
• Egg whites, beaten - 2
• Vegetable oil
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon
• Cannoli molds

Ingredients for Filling

• Pistachios, chopped - ¼ cup
• Nut-flavored liqueur - 5 teaspoons
• Ricotta - 1 pound
• Heavy cream - ½ cup
• Candied fruit, finely chopped - ¼ cup
• Chocolate, semi-sweet, melted - ½ cup
• Sugar - ½ cup

Directions: 1) Get the flour, sugar, and salt together and mix them in a bowl. Now, get the wine and mixing it gradually into the dry ingredients, make a dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic. Keep it for about an hour, to let it rest at room temperature. 2) Thereafter, sprinkle some flour on the surface where you have to roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. After you have rolled it out, cut out rounds 5 inches in diameter. Now wrap each of the cuts onto a cannoli mold. Seal off the edges with egg white. 3) Now, put some oil on medium heat in a saute pan and fry the cannoli until golden brown and crisp. Get them out of the pan and let them drain out in paper towels. Let them cool down, before you slip the molds from the cannoli. 4) Next, you can carry out the filling process. Whip the cream in a mixing bowl and fold in the ricotta. Working it with a rubber spatula until creamy. Now, you may fold in the sugar, the liqueur and the fruit. 5) Get the shells and starting from one end, stuff the cannoli with the ricotta filling you have just made. Ensure that the mid section is filled completely. Give both ends a generous dip in the melted chocolate, followed by a dip in the pistachios. Recipe for the Filling Ingredients

• Ricotta cheese, very dry - 3 cup
• Vanilla - 2 teaspoons
• Granulated sugar - 1 cup
• Chocolate chips

Directions: You can dry up the ricotta cheese by draining it in a colander, overnight. Make a mix out of the sugar and vanilla. Beat this with an electric mixer for 8-10 minutes. Fold in some of the chocolate chips. Use these to filling up the cannoli or between the cake layers.