Cannoli: Crisp Fried Shells with Orange-Scented Ricotta and Chocolate Chips

Drain the ricotta. The night before, tip the ricotta into the lined sieve set over a bowl, cover and chill for at least 8 h. Removing the whey gives a thick filling that will not soak the shells.

Make the dough. Pulse the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the processor, add the coconut oil and pulse to fine crumbs. Add 1 tbsp of the beaten egg with the grape juice and vinegar and pulse until it clumps, then knead on the worktop for 4 min until smooth and quite firm. Wrap and chill for 2 h; cover the rest of the egg and keep it cold. The acid in the juice and vinegar keeps the dough tender and helps the blisters form.

Roll thin. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough 3 mm thick and cut 8 rounds. Roll each round again into an oval about 2 mm thick; thin dough is what makes a light, shattering shell.

Wrap the tubes. Set a tube across the middle of an oval, fold one side over it, brush the edge with egg, then bring the other side over and press firmly to seal. Prepare 4 at a time.

Fry the shells. Heat 6 cm of oil in the heavy pot to 175 °C. Fry 4 shells on their tubes for about 2 min, turning often, until deep golden and blistered and the bubbling has calmed. Drain, leave 1 min, then hold with a cloth and slide the tubes out. Repeat with the rest once the tubes are cool enough to handle.

Mix the filling. Beat the drained ricotta with the icing sugar, honey, vanilla, both zests, lemon juice and salt until smooth, then fold in 30 g of the chocolate chips. Chill until needed.

Pipe. No more than an hour before serving, spoon the filling into the piping bag and fill each shell from both ends so the middle is full.

Decorate. Press the ends into the remaining chips and the pistachios, dust with icing sugar and serve.