Baklanoli

RICOTTA

1. Measure out 60ml of water and stir in 2 heaped teaspoons of citric acid until it dissolves completely.
2. Pour milk into a medium saucepan (4-4.5L capacity) and stir the cheese salt into the cold milk.
3. Heat the salted milk on medium heat until temperature reaches 92°C, stirring the base of the saucepan constantly as the milk heats to prevent scalding.
4. Once you reach 92°C, remove the saucepan from the heat.
5. Stir through the diluted citric acid as soon as it’s added to the milk, and stir quickly for 5 seconds.
6. Leave the ricotta curds untouched in the saucepan to cool for a minimum of 30 minutes, then scoop into a muslin cloth lined colander to drain. Leave to drain for 30 minutes and/or until a higher yield of cheese is present.
7. Allow the ricotta to fully drain for a drier, crumblier cheese.

CANNOLI SHELLS

1. Combine the plain flour into the bowl of a food processor, along with the cubed butter and castor sugar until it reaches a sandy consistency.
2. Add the egg and marsala (or 100ml water) to the flour and butter mixture and blitz to combine. The mixture should come together in a soft, moist dough in just a few minutes. Turn out onto the work surface and bring together as if making pasta dough for approximately 5 minutes.
3. Wrap tightly in cling film and set aside in a cool place for 30 minutes. When the dough has rested, cut it into three portions, take one piece, set the rest aside and keep covered. Small portions of dough are easier to handle.
4. Set up the pasta machine and set it to the thickest setting. Dust the piece of dough with extra flour and gently roll to approx. 5mm thickness, to make it easy to feed into the pasta machine. Feed the dough into the machine and pass it through.
5. Roll the dough to the thinnest increment on the pasta machine. Dust with a very thin layer of additional flour at this stage to avoid the dough sticking to the work surface or to itself.
6. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough into rounds until all of the dough has been used. Pick up each round individually, gently pull the pastry out and wrap it around a cannoli tube. Brush the open side with egg whites, pull the bottom piece of pastry over the egg whites, and stick the dough firmly together to seal the pastry tightly around the cylinder. Repeat for each cannoli.

FRYING THE CANNOLI

1. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 165 degrees C. Check the temperature with a digital thermometer if needed.
2. Fry one cannoli shell first to test the cooking time and temperature of the fryer. The cannoli shell should cook through within 1-2 minutes, with hundreds of tiny blisters forming on the surface. Use tongs to submerge the floating cannoli under the oil to encourage even frying. The shell is cooked when it looks crisp and has turned golden brown.
3. Cook the cannoli 5-6 at a time until bubbly and golden. Remove from the fryer and place onto a cooling rack to drain and cool slightly. Once all of the cannoli shells are fried and slightly cool, gently lift each shell and remove the cylinder. Allow the fried shells to cool and set at room temperature for approximately 10-15 minutes.

HONEY SUGAR SYRUP

1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil without stirring once it starts bubbling.
3. Boil for 8 minutes.
4. Add honey and lemon juice.
5. Continue simmering for 11-12 minutes until the syrup coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water.
7. Cool completely before using.
8. Once cooled, add to a small squeeze bottle.

BAKLAVA SHARDS

1. Preheat oven to 170°C fan forced.
2. Lay the filo sheets on top of each other, brushing each sheet lightly with melted butter.
3. Sprinkle sugar and chopped pistachios evenly over the layers.
4. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
5. Cool completely.
6. Break into decorative shards for garnishing later.

RICOTTA FILLING

1. Using a stand mixer, mix the drained ricotta until creamy and smooth.
2. Add icing sugar, honey sugar syrup and orange blossom.
3. Mix until combined.
4. In a chopper, blend both pistachios and walnuts until coarse.
5. Fold or mix through the pistachios and walnuts. Chill for 20 minutes.

PISTACHIO CRUMBLE

1. Preheat oven to 150°C, fan forced.
2. Blend the pistachios into a fine powder.
3. Add cubed butter, sugar, flour, white chocolate and a pinch of flaky salt.
4. Mix until it’s a flaky but dough-like consistency.
5. Spread it on a tray lined with a silicon sheet for around 25 minutes.
6. Mix every 5 minutes to avoid caramelising the sugars.
7. Transfer to an airtight container.

PLATING UP THE BAKLANOLI

1. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle with the prepared ricotta baklava filling. Pipe the filling generously into both ends of each cannoli shell, ensuring the shell is evenly filled from end to end.
2. Dip both ends of the cannoli into the baklava shards, pressing gently so the shards adhere to the syrup-coated filling.
3. Lightly drizzle a small amount of honey sugar syrup in a thin zig-zag pattern, being careful not to oversaturate the shell.
4. Scatter the pistachio crumble around the platter.
5. Place the finished cannoli on top of the pistachio crumble, in a clockwise direction.
6. Finish with a sprinkle of a few dried rose petals and pistachios.
7. Serve immediately to maintain the crispness of the cannoli shell.