Holy Moley! I Made The Perfect Cannoli! Thanks Again Ateco!
Written: Feb 27 '04 (Updated Feb 27 '04)
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Pros: Easy to use, four tubes per package, perfect size for tons of baked goods.
Cons: Requires special cleaning provisions, will dent or warp if not stored properly.
The Bottom Line: Want a set of general metal baking tubes? Need something that will last more than a few months? The Ateco Cannoli Kit is a great pick!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Ateco Cannoli Kit |
Is there anything better than a freshly stuffed, extremely crispy cannoli? In my books, the only thing that tops that is cheesecake smothered in freshly cut strawberries or Starbucks Ice Cream. When a small bakery shop about forty miles from where we live hung up their baking hat and called it quits, I was left with a true void; my sweet tooth ached for the light and fluffy but oh so crispy fried cannoli crust with any of a number of fillings crammed inside – literally falling out of the sides. After two months of complaining Chris could no longer take it and he started bringing home cannoli from other bakery and “pastry shops” while they were good, none of them were great so he gave up, told me to stop whining and tossed me a package of the Ateco Cannoli Tubes.
Making cannoli isn’t something that you “just do”, it takes a little planning, some luck and more than a little time but the pay off is worth it if you have the right recipe. But all that can be tossed to the wind if you don’t have the right type of tubes – and trust me, in this case, size definitely does matter. There are several sizes to choose from but the two most common are the six inch by one inch and the three inch by half inch. Luckily Chris was in the midst of a “testosterone moment” – which is basically the mindset that ‘bigger is better’. Working with the smaller tubes might mean that you can fry up more of them at once but they burn easier, are harder to fill and tend to crack or break more than the larger ones. The ones that he picked up are general cannoli tubes, stainless steel with a single side seam and open on both ends. The actual size is 5 5/8 inches in length with a 7/8th inch diameter but for the sake of simplicity, lets just call it six inches by one inch.
Ateco Cannoli Kit
The tubes have a smooth edge to them so there’s no real chance of cutting yourself when you are using them but I’d keep these out of reach of the wee people since a finger could very easily get stuck in the tube. If possible, check the tubes before you purchase them to make sure that the seams are evenly fused and there aren’t any rough spots. This might not seem important the first few batches but after a while the heat from the oil will start to take its toll on the metal and you’ll end up with a popped tube. You only get four per package with this product so if you are going to be doing a mass production, you may want to pick up a few packs so you don’t have to wait for them to cool off or when you are cleaning them up. Since most people deep fry the cannoli shells, you will need to allow them to dry and cool almost completely before you slide out the tube, this means at least a three to four minute wait – something that can really slow down your prep time if you are making more than ten or so. It’s pretty important to work with cooled tubes since you are using a dough that is sensitive to heat, try to wrap the dough around a tube that is too warm and it will start to break down and won’t hold the shape when it is placed in the oil.
The tubes are pretty sturdy but they will dent or warp if not stored properly. I suggest storing these inside a small box to deep them from getting banged around. They do clean up nicely but you have to make sure that they are completely dry before you store them or you will end up with a rusted internal seam – if that happens you might as well pitch them because if you try to fry them with the least little bit of rust inside the tube you will end up ruining everything including the oil. I hand wash these after a few batches just to get rid of the excess oil and so that the dough will stick to the tube without having to really press it and ruin the fluffiness. After the first set I told Chris how much I liked them and that it would be great to have a few more sets around so I could knock out twenty or thirty shells at a time without having to spend four hours in front of the stove. The increased girth around his waist over the past several months is a true reflection of my love of baking and he was more than receptive to the hints that I tossed out.
The Bottom Line
I happily own four sets of the larger cannoli tubes now and can say that they are truly great things to have around when you want to make something a little different for dessert. You don’t have to use these just for cannoli, I have also used them for making “empty pockets” using regular store bought dinner roll dough and rolling it around the tube. You can stuff it with whatever you like but my personal favorite is twice baked potato mix or serving them with chili or meat stew and letting everyone dig into it. There are several types of pastries that you can make with this or for a quick treat, use filo dough, wrap it around the tubes, brush with a sugar and butter mix and bake until golden brown. You can fill them with just about anything and it makes an ordinary dessert a little more special. I have no doubt that over time the tubes will give out, dent or just need to be rotated out of commission but for the price of about $4.00 to $5.00 per pack, they are easily and inexpensively replaced.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2004 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): == gift ==
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