Clara and her Cannoli – A Love Story from 1946

Making good Sicilian cannoli is a real art and to cook them well, the way they deserve, takes time, care and the right amount of experience. Sicilian cannoli is certainly one of the most famous desserts of traditional Sicilian cuisine and is undeniably known all over the world. The traditional recipes are born from a wise manual skill, but also from attention to detail and practice. The protagonist of the story we tell you today, Miss Clara, for example, has been making cannoli on the charming island of Favignana, off the coast of Trapani, since 1946. Her secret lies in “this much of lard, this much of sugar and white flour, mixed with water and vinegar”. An indication certainly very vague, but the cannoli are perfect, crunchy as tradition dictates.

She was taught by a lady who, at the time, was 90 years old. What made Clara famous was a video, shot by Simona Bua and edited by her and Daniele De Michele, aka Don Pasta. In this video, which we propose at the end of the article, is shown Miss Clara that with a very careful attention prepares the cannoli pasta. Seeing her cooking is a show and reminds us how important traditions are, and we at Sicilian Food Culture try to do our part every day, bringing a little bit of Sicily to your home. Sicily, in this sense, has so much to teach you, especially thanks to this great heritage, made of recipes that are handed down from one generation to the next.

The danger is that no one wants to learn. Clara, to give shape to the cannoli, uses bamboo canes. Her creations are fried in hot oil, she turns them over and then fills them with ricotta cream: “They must have bubbles on the shell – she explains – if it is smooth it is not a real cannoli”. The ricotta is sieved by hand, then the chocolate chips are added. When they invite her to lunch, Clara brings the cannoli: to make a hundred she needs only 3 hours.

CLARA AND HER CANNOLI \\ A love story from simona bua on Vimeo.

Sicilian Food Culture