Lingua de sogra- cannoli

Truly sculptural -the original Italian cannoli

Before the Mother-in -law comes her reputation.We all know this particular relative has a reputation for the mouth on her, but did we know there was a Portuguese pudding named after her bitchy tongue."Stepmother´s tongue", literally.It could even translate as the language of the mother-in-law.Better not go there,don´t want to hear what she has to say? Make the pudding named after her instead.

Cannoli has always been one of my favorite Italian desserts and the perfect ending to any Italian dinner.It is  a very typical Sicilian speciality using ricotta cheese.To shape the cannoli you need four or five cylinders 2.5cm (1inch) in diameter and 15cms( 6 inches)long.In Italy they traditionally use bamboo canes,and they also sell the equivalent in tin. If you ever are in Italy,don´t forget to buy some.The shells are pretty simple to make if you have a little time, patience and the right tools.Failing that there are quality products that will give you the Marks and Spencer "I made it myself" con. 
Living in Portugal I haven´t seen these shells, but recently I found these "Stepmother´s tongues" in LIDL of all places.Yes, stepmother´s tongue in a Lidl check out queue, you´ve got the picture. I bought a few boxes in the hope I would find a traditional Portuguese recipe for a filling.I found just what I was looking for and here it is..

Chestnut filling
300g(10oz) chestnut purée
( made with sieved, boiled chestnuts-
or use from a tin of unsweetened purée)
90g (3oz) icing sugar

3 tablespoons milk

90g (3oz)butter
150ml(1/4 pint) double cream(whipped)
4 drops vanilla essence
Mix the cold chestnut purée with the sugar,vanilla,softened butter and milk.Beat very hard until smooth.Fold in the whipped cream.Taste for sugar.

The Original Sicilian filling
Fills 12 cannoli
1 tbs orange water
250g (8oz or 1 Us cups) very fresh ricotta cheese

500g (8oz or 1 US cups)caster sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla sugar
25g(1oz) glacé cherries
25g(1oz)angelica
25g(1oz) candied lemon peel
25g(1oz) candied orange peel
40g(2oz) plain dessert chocolate
icing sugar for dusting
To make the filling,beat the ricotta with a fork,add the sugar,vanilla sugar and orange water.The ricotta should become creamier in consistency.Cut the peel ,angelica and glacé cherries into small pieces.Chop the chocolate and mix these ingredients into the ricotta mixture.Fill each  cannoli with the mixture and line up on a plate.Dust with icing sugar and serve cool,but do not refrigerate.
A moscato or moscatel dessert wine is the perfect wine to accompany this incredibly delicious sweet.