With holiday candied fruit plentiful in supermarkets,...

With holiday candied fruit plentiful in supermarkets, this is a good time to either make cannoli or tuck away some citron, orange peel and cherries in the freezer to have on hand when you do want to try this Sicilian dessert.

In English, the Italian name means large reeds or canes. Originally the shells were shaped around cane tubes, but nowadays the forms are made of metal. Typically they are 5 to 6 inches in length and three-fourths to an inch in diameter. A set of four will probably run you about $5 at a kitchen supply store.

The dough for cannoli needs to be reasonably strong but tender. The liquid used to combine the ingredients is wine, not only for flavor but also because its acidity slightly weakens the gluten in the flour.

After the dough is prepared, let it rest a few minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured work surface. It must be rolled thin for the shells to be crisp; thick dough will turn out tough.

In the following recipe, the dough is cut into 3 1/2-inch circles. You can make longer cannoli, but the diameter of the dough rounds must be at least 1 1/2 inches less than the length of the metal form.

Each circle is then rolled into an oval. Keep the prepared ovals of dough tightly wrapped in plastic until they are ready to be formed.

Don’t stretch the dough as you wrap it around the tube. Also, when you brush egg white on the overlapping edges of the dough (to make them stay sealed during frying), be careful not to get any on the metal tube.

To keep the shells from absorbing too much oil, heat it to 350 degrees and fry only two or three shells at a time.

The cannoli remain soft for a short time after frying. Remove them from the molds quickly, while they are warm and flexible.

As the shells cool, they become brittle. Use them immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Fill the cannoli just before serving so the shells stay crisp.

The most common filling is sweetened ricotta cheese mixed with citron, candied orange peel and chopped chocolate. You can also add a few drops of green food color and some blanched pistachios.

Especially moist ricotta should be wrapped in cheesecloth, placed in a strainer and drained overnight in the refrigerator.

CANNOLI

PASTRY

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup dry white wine, about

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Oil for deep frying

Sift flour with salt and granulated sugar. Make well in center and add beaten egg and butter.

Stir with fork, working from center to edge, to moisten flour mixture. Add wine, 1 tablespoon at time, until dough begins to cling together.

Use hands to form dough into ball. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Roll out half of dough at time on floured work surface until about 1/16 inch thick. Cut into 3 1/2-inch circles.

Roll each circle into oval. Place cannoli tube along long edge and wrap dough around tube, sealing edge with beaten egg white. Bend edges where dough overlaps to flare slightly.

Fry 2 to 3 shells at time in deep fat heated to 350 degrees about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove from fat with tongs.

Drain shells on paper towels about 5 seconds. Holding shell carefully, remove cannoli tube, protecting fingers with paper towels. Cool shells completely.

RICOTTA FILLING

2 pounds ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped candied citron

1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel

1/4 cup chopped sweet chocolate

Process cheese in food processor or blender or press through wire strainer until very smooth. Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla, then citron, orange peel and chocolate. Chill several hours or overnight. Place Ricotta Filling in pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe into shells.

GARNISH

Powdered sugar

Chopped sweet chocolate

Halved candied cherries

Sprinkle cannoli with powdered sugar. Garnish with chocolate and cherries.

Makes 28 cannoli.

Each cannoli contains about:

152 calories; 96 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.08 gram fiber.