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Somewhere in my storage unit (that's mercifully going to get emptied in the next 30 days), I have a pamphlet printed by Polly-O Dairies that has the best cannoli cream I've ever had. I'm definitely waiting to see if Jerz has a recipe because she sent me a KILLER bacala recipe this last Christmas.

I use wooden dowel sticks. That's right go to the hardware store and buy a nice wooden dowel the right thickness. Go home and cut them (with a saw) in a size you like. Buy a small dowel (4 inches) for mini canolli and a larger one (5.5 inches) for full size. You need a tiny bit of work space to work the shells off the forms. So some extra space is OK.
Give the cut sticks a good look over. If they have rough spots sand them with very fine sandpaper, then give them a real good wash, let them air dry and fry them in a skillet in crisco or veg oil. (did she just tell me to fry wood in shortening? Yes she did!) Fry them each for a few mins till they look good and greasy.
The let them dry on paper towel. Now they are ready to use. After you use them you will have to take a scotchguard scrubby to them and scrub them clean, dry them and then you can put them away till you use them next time.
My grandmother used a old broom handle for her forms.
You want authentic I am giving it to you.
FOR THOSE FREAKING OUT: The metal tubes work just fine. I just like the wooden dowels for nostalgia.

Dough
2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp shortening
2 tsp sugar
pinch salt
3/4 cup sweet Marsala

1 egg white for sealing the ends
oil for frying (or shortening)

Combine the dry ingredients and add the wet till you get a stiff dough. Form into a ball wrap in plastic and sit it in the fridge for an hour. Cut dough in half and roll half of the dough into a thin sheet about 1/4-inch thick or less and cut into 4-inch circles.

Place a form down the center of the circle. Wrap dough around the form and overlap the 2 sides neatly, sealing the overlapping sides with egg white. Meanwhile heat oil/shortening in a deep pan. Make the oil/shortening 350 degrees.
Fry one or two at a time only because you need to watch them for the golden brown color which can happen quickly. Don't overcook them it makes them brittle. Drain on a rack or brown paper bag/paper towel, let cool. Slide carefully from the forms. repeat this till you have made all the shells. This recipe makes about 12, if your making small ones could be about 16-18.

Authentic filling
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (drain it overnight with cheesecloth)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla or grand marnier
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

OR sometimes I use 1 cup of ricotta and 8 ounces of cream cheese or marscapone. It gives a creamier product and the taste is very good. Totally up to you. Both are good.

Don't over mix the cheese filling. Just get it incorporated. Chill the cheese filling till it is good and cold (at least 2 hours, overnight is good too) then fill shells. You can pipe each end with filling nice and neat. My grandmother used a teaspoon to fill hers. An impromtu piping bag is your old friend the zip lock bag. BE GENTLE! The shells are fragile, so no pushing, pressing or otherwise jerky motions. Some people dust with confectioner's sugar before they serve. Fill these a few hours before serving. They will stay nice and solid for about a day but ambient temp and humidity can change that. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add ins
chopped cintron
candied orange peel
chopped pistachio nuts
chopped chocolate or mini choc chips
some people dip one end of the shell in choc because it looks very shiny and sexy.

for your add ins use what you like

You can always count in Jerzee, always a impressive to me :) I'm going to try and make them this weekend!

Woo hoo! Go, Jerzee! Go, Jerzee!

I have used a cast iron skillet, a regular skillet, a stock pot and my all time fav frying machine the presto kettle which has a nice temp gauge for frying. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=888144
It is all about what you are comfortable frying with.

Thanks Jerzee, I'm making them tomorrow. I just made some ricotta, YAY ME, and I want to use that.