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“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” It’s one of the most iconic (and chillingly casual...) lines in cinematic history. Spoken just moments after an execution, it perfectly captures the brutal, matter-of-fact rhythm of mafia life. It’s this throwaway remark, delivered with eerie nonchalance, that makes the scene so unforgettable. For a mafia man, even murder doesn’t interrupt mealtime.
While we never actually see the cannoli in The Godfather, the line alone has immortalised this sweet treat in pop culture. Let’s be honest, it’s probably the most famous dessert that never got screen time. Naturally, we had no choice but to include it as the grand finale to our The Godfather inspired dinner party menu.
Cannoli is a true Sicilian classic: crispy, golden shells filled with lightly sweetened ricotta cream. Our version keeps it traditional, but there's room for flair; dip the ends in chocolate, add a handful of pistachios or chocolate chips, or go rogue with sprinkles (we won’t tell Nonna). We’ve included below a bonus recipe for homemade candied orange peel, which adds just the right pop of zing and looks very impressive, with shockingly little effort.
Whether you're serving these alongside espresso at the end of your feast, or just whispering the line to yourself as you sneak one from the fridge at midnight, this dessert is the perfect finale. A little crunchy, a little creamy, and full of drama, just like the film itself.
Sadly, that concludes our The Godfather inspired dinner 🥀 Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified of the next episode of Dinner and a Movie, it's going to be just magical ⚡️🪄 If you can't wait a whole month for the next one, catch up with one of our previous episodes:
Ratatouille: Dinner Party recipes | anyone can cook! 👨🍳 🐀
The Devil Wears Prada: Dinner Party recipes | a fashionable feast! 👠
Matilda: Dinner Party recipes | bring a touch of magic to the kitchen! 📚
CLASSIC CANNOLI
INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)
SHELLS
250g 00 flour
50g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
30g lard or unsalted butter
1 large egg (+ additional 1 egg for sealing the tubes)
60ml Marsala wine / or white wine
1 tbsp white vinegar
Neutral oil (for frying)
RICOTTA FILLING
750g ricotta
200g caster sugar
1 orange - zest only
DECORATION - optional
Chocolate chips
Candied orange peel - below
METHOD - RICOTTA FILLING
Drain the ricotta in a sieve, lined with a cheesecloth, for 4 hours. nb: Resist the temptation to skip this step, and just squeeze out the excess moisture by hand, it will result in sloppy filling!
In a medium bowl, combine the drained ricotta, and sugar. Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
Stir in the orange zest, then transfer to a piping bag, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
METHOD - SHELLS
DOUGH
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Cut the cold lard/butter into cubes, add it to the dry ingredients, and work it with your fingers, or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Create a well in the centre, and add the egg, marsala, and vinegar. With a fork, mix until it comes together, then turn out onto a clean work surface.
Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover with cling film, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
SHAPING
After resting, divide the dough into three, and flatten each portion of dough with your hands, then pass through a pasta machine on the thickest setting.
Doing a couple of passes on each setting, work your way down to a thickness of 2-3mm. Nb: if you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface.
Use a round cutter (about 10 cm in diameter) to cut out circle of dough.
Wrap each circle of dough around a cannoli tube, sealing the edge with a little eaten egg. Nb: check out the video to see the method in action.
FRYING
Fill a deep pot with frying oil a few inches deep, and heat the oil to 175°C.
Carefully lower in the dough-wrapped tubes, one at a time into the oil, and fry submerged until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan, fry a couple at a time.
Remove the cooked tubes from the oil, place to drain on paper towels, and immediately and gently slide the cannoli shells off the tubes using tongs, or with gloves. Nb: be careful, as the tubes and residual oil will be super hot.
If reusing the same tubes for additional dough, allow them to cool first before using again.
METHOD - ASSEMBLY
Once the shells are fully cooled, pipe the chilled ricotta cream into the shells, filling from each end, being cautious not to overfill.
Optionally, decorate the ends with chocolate chips and homemade candied orange peel.
Mangia!
CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
INGREDIENTS
2 large oranges
350 grams granulated sugar- divided
METHOD
Using a sharp knife, cut each orange into 8, then remove the flesh, and some pith, leaving about 5mm of peel/pith intact.
Slice the peel into thin strips, about 3-5mm wide.
Place the strips of peel into a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 10 mins. Nb: this will help to reduce the bitterness.
Drain the water, then once again, cover the peels with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, this time, for 30 minutes. Then drain, and put aside.
Make a syrup by adding 250g of sugar to 500ml of cold water. Place on a medium heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the peel to the syrup, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 mins until the peel is soft and translucent.
Sprinkle the remaining 100g of sugar onto a piece of parchment paper.
Remove the peels from the syrup using a slotted spoon, and toss in the sugar a few at a time, until fully coated.
Lay the sugar-coated peels in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, and leave them to air dry for several hours or overnight.
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