• Drain the ricotta cheese overnight...place it in a strainer (on a thin dish towel) into the fridge.
• Beat the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until well mixed.
• Fill a pastry bag (or use a ziplock bag with the corner tip cut) with the filling.
• Fill the cannoli shells with the cream.
• Sprinkle mini chocolate chips and/or pistachios on the cannoli's
• Dust powdered sugar on top.

Homemade Cannoli Shells (makes 24)

• Take a large bowl, add the flour and salt to it and mix it well.
• Add the cold butter and use a fork to break it down and mix it well into the flour.
• Add the whole egg and egg white and mix well.
• Add the vinegar to the water and stir. Pour this mixture little at a time into the flour mixture and start stiring and bringing the dough together. You can easily do this with your hands.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and rest it for at least half an hour to 2 hours at room temperature.
• To give them cannoli shape, you can either use a cannoli mold or make a cylindrically shaped mold using aluminium foil. Take a big piece and roll it over a round surface till you get that cylindrical shape.
•   Heat up the oil in a large deep sided pan, on medium-high heat.
• Roll half the dough in a big circle and cut out smaller circles using a cookie cutter. I like to use a 4 inch diameter circle.
• Wrap the individual dough circles around the cannoli molds and seal the end using the egg white and press firmly so that they don't open up while frying.
• Using tongs carefully add the shells to the hot oil in the frying pan and fry till they turn golden in colour. Take it out and allow it to colo before filling.