History

Sicilian immigrants brought the cannolo to Boston's North End in the 1880s and 1890s, when the neighbourhood became the city's Little Italy. Mike's Pastry opened on Hanover Street in 1946 and codified the to-order ricotta-filling template that prevents the shell going soggy. Modern Pastry, a few doors down at 257 Hanover, has filled cannoli at the counter since 1930. The Mike's-versus-Modern argument is the North End's longest-running tourist debate: Mike's wins on shell crunch and filling variety, Modern wins on cream balance and chocolate-dipped shells. Either house fills the shell only at the moment of purchase, never in advance.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield Makes 12 cannoliHands-on 60 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the shells: 250g all-purpose flour, 30g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, pinch of fine salt, 30g unsalted butter cold, 1 large egg, 120ml dry Marsala wine, 1 egg white for sealing, neutral oil for frying
  • For the filling: 500g fresh whole-milk ricotta, drained overnight, 120g powdered sugar plus extra to dust, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, half teaspoon cinnamon, 50g mini chocolate chips, chopped candied orange peel optional

Method

  1. Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl overnight in the fridge. Press out any excess water.
  2. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter. Add the egg and Marsala; knead 8 minutes until smooth. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 2mm thickness. Cut 12 ovals using a 10cm cutter.
  4. Wrap each oval around a metal cannoli tube. Seal the overlap with egg white.
  5. Heat oil to 190C. Fry the shells, on the tubes, 60 to 90 seconds until golden and bubbled. Lift, drain, cool fully; carefully slide off the tubes.
  6. Whisk the drained ricotta with the powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  7. Just before serving, pipe the filling from both ends of each shell. Dust with powdered sugar. Eat within 30 minutes.

Tip from the editors. Never fill cannoli in advance; the shell goes soggy in 45 minutes. Fill at the moment of serving, the way Mike's and Modern do it on Hanover Street.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat north end cannoli

North End cannoli in Boston

Mike's Pastry ★ 4.5

north-endSun-Thu 08:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 08:00-23:30Walk-in onlySicilian-style cannoli, filled to order

Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street has filled cannoli to order in Boston's North End since 1946. 19 cannoli flavours, cash and card, white string-tied box the giveaway.

Tip: The line on weekends runs 20 minutes; the inside-counter line moves faster than the to-go window. Cash and card both.

Worth the queue: Ricotta cannoli with chocolate chips

300 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 Book →

Modern Pastry ★ 4.6

north-endSun-Thu 08:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 08:00-24:00Walk-in onlyItalian American pastry and chocolate-dipped cannoli

Modern Pastry on Hanover Street has filled cannoli to order in Boston's North End since 1930. Chocolate-dipped shells, lighter ricotta cream, the local pick over Mike's.

Tip: Locals line up at Modern; tourists at Mike's. The chocolate-dipped shell is the headline item; Italian rum cake is the under-ordered cake.

Worth the queue: Chocolate-dipped cannoli with sweet cream

257 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 Book →

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