Cream Filled Cartocci

Premise

To start preparing the cartocci, you need to begin with the dough, which will then be left to rise before moving on to the preparation of the pastry cream that you will use for the filling.

 

Preparation of the Pastry Cream

In a saucepan, vigorously whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar. Add the flour to the mixture and allow it to absorb. Gradually add the room-temperature milk, which has been slightly warmed, to avoid lumps.

 

Place the pot over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches a boil, and turn off the heat once the desired thickness is achieved. Allow the cream to cool in a bowl covered with plastic wrap pressed against the surface, and then refrigerate for an hour before filling.

 

 

Dough Preparation

In the mixing bowl, place the sifted flour along with the sugar and yeast, add the whole egg, and start mixing, gradually adding the milk until fully absorbed. Melt the lard in a double boiler or in the microwave.

 

Add the salt almost last, just before the melted lard. When the dough is compact, smooth, and firm, it will take about 13 to 15 minutes at speed 3. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, allowing it to rise in an oven that has been turned off but with the light on for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

 

Now take a baking sheet that will hold the fried cartocci, line it with parchment paper, and brush the paper with oil. Take the traditional cannoli tubes or hollow tubes for cannoli, and grease them with butter or seed oil.

 

After the rising time has elapsed, divide the dough into pieces of about 60 grams each and form a rope about 30 cm long with your hands. Take the rope and wrap it around the tube, overlapping the ends to secure the dough (you can use a cannoli tube or one with straight cuts), aiming for at least three turns. When twisting the rope around the tube, do not pull the dough; instead, gently wrap it around the tube, being careful to leave half a centimeter of space at both ends, as the dough will cover that space during the rising phase. Place the cartocci on the lined tray that has been brushed with oil.

 

Cover the cartocci with plastic wrap and let them rise for another hour in the turned-off oven with the light on. After this time, the cartocci will have increased in volume.

 

Now proceed with frying. Place seed oil in a tall pot with a diameter of 22 cm and heat it (you will need about 1.5 liters of oil). It is important that the oil temperature does not exceed 170°C; otherwise, they risk being raw inside. Fry the cartocci, immersing them in the pot with tongs and turning them often; remove them when they are golden brown but not burnt.

 

Each cartoccio will need about 6-7 minutes of cooking. Place them on a sheet of absorbent paper to remove excess oil and let them cool slightly. Gently twist the tubes to extract them, and while they are still warm, roll them in granulated sugar so that the sugar adheres to the outer part of the cartoccio. Take the pastry cream filling; alternatively, you can fill them with ricotta cream and chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and fill the cartocci. Your fried cartocci are now ready to be enjoyed.