# Making Cannoli Tubes/Dowels



## mmlj2017

I know you can buy stainless cannoli tubes for a really decent price, but I wanted to go with something a little more authentic. What is the best way to go about making dowels? I've seen several things, but wanted to get some more input...

For the dowel itself, does a 2" diameter cut into 4" long segments sound correct?

Also, what sort of grit should you use to sand these down? I would assume that you would want it as smooth as possible, and would want to use at LEAST a 240 grit or so. Finally, what would the best way to go about seasoning them prior to use?

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

PS - If anyone has a great recipe, I'm happy to listen!


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## kelly moore

I am eager to see a reply to your question about the Cannoli tubes! Great question!


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## prettycake

I would put more effort into making the results authentic,  the Cannoli itself.  No one will see the tube things when they eat the Cannolis.  Maybe go to the home improvement center store and buy a big wooden stick and have them cut it in the sizes that you want them,  hoping that you bought the right kind of wood..


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## tilee

I think a 2" dowel might be a little too big, maybe try 1 1/2".  I make a cream filled cookie that would look like a mini Cannoli, I have found wrapping the dowels with aluminum foil works best. My dowels are the length of the cookie sheets I use. Hope this helps


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## petalsandcoco

I was researching this question last night and this is an idea I found..........I might be thinking too much out of the box but here is some  info:

"Without having to go to a sheet metal shop.....buy a length of stove pipe that you can use as is, or buy it a bit bigger and cut it length wise. The "roll" is already there."

Petals.


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## prettycake

I would think that getting a metal pipe from the home improvement store would be a very similar or yet the same as buying those metal tubes already cut ..I do not see the difference..


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## petemccracken

Maybe,* IF* they don't contain toxic materials and *IF *they are carefully and thoroughly washed and sanitized and* IF* they are made from food safe materials and* IF* there are no burrs or other blemishes that might break off and* IF* the local health inspector does not question the source. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif



Prettycake said:


> I would think that getting a metal pipe from the home improvement store would be a very similar or yet the same as buying those metal tubes already cut ..I do not see the difference..


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## petalsandcoco

Dear Pete,

*If* only I did not think so much outside *La Boîte* .....lol. I cannot resist a project. But the OP has "Cook at home" (but I think he is alot more than that) that is why I was a bit ....you know.

I cannot help but admire his willingness to take such a project on....Necessity is the mother of invention. ( yes , we must take all the if's into consideration)


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## prettycake

Hopefully it won't be pipe containing lead .. BTW, maybe get a brand *new*, unused toilet plunger and use the handle by cutting them in the size that you need.


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## naturalbaker911

[h1]Hello[/h1][h2]I have found, that using a 5" long Wilton fondant rolling pin, works great. It usually will fit two small cannoli's on one pin and is non-stick.[/h2]


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## jimyp

Cannolis come in all sizes, so there is no single sized cannoli form be it wooden or metal. I t depends on the size you wish to make. I chose to use materials I had on hand. That being said, I've done some research and have just finished making 4 wooden cannoli dowels. They are each 5" long with ends being at 3/4" and 5/8" diameter due to my having filed each dowel down at one end. Hence the 5/8" smaller diameter end. You, ideally, want a conical, tapered shape. I began with a 3/4" diameter dowel I had in my home that just happened to be a very little longer than 20". Perfect for 4  5" cannoli dowels. My largest round cutter is 3 1/2" in diameter and I like the combined sense of proportion. Tomorrow I'll season the dowels as follows: Heat 1" of 50% each canola oil and lard in a stainless steel pot (high sides to avoid splattering) to 350 F and drop in the dowels for 5 minutes. Remove the dowels, let cool off, wipe excess off with a paper towel, then coat slightly with lard and store in an air tight container. The final lard coat will inhibit bacterial growth, just as it does with cast iron pans. I also plan to make 6" cannoli dowels from 1" diameter stock (obtained from a local hardware store) tapered (i.e., manually filed) down at the smaller diameter end to 3/4". I've not been to Italy but I understand that cannolis there are most often not as large as they are in the US. Surprise, surprise! As long as the dowel is tapered, as well as well-sanded and well-seasoned, you will be fine. Hold the eventual cooked shell and twist it and the dowel just slightly in opposite directions. The shell will be cooked and is not in serious danger of being broken, allowing you to easily remove each from the other. Don't let the shell and dowel stay connected for an extended period, as the oil/lard would cool and become, by its nature, more adherent. Btw, I used 150 grit and then 220 grit sand paper for the finish after filing as, again, this is what I had on hand. Happy cannoli making!


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## nfranz21

I know I am a little late in the game, but there does not seem to be any authentic answers here, which is what I believe the original poster wanted. My Italian great grandmother's cannoli sticks were made out of a wooded broom stick that was sanded down and seasoned with vegetable oil. That being said, we only had one set that got passed down. So my dad was asked to make cannoli sticks/tubes based on the dimensions of the original tubes. He took one and went to the hardware store and purchased 11/2in  dowel rods and cut them into 5 inch sections and sanded them down. My grandmother then told me to season them three times before use. The seasoning process involved coating the stick in vegetable oil and putting on a cookie sheet and sticking in the oven at 300 degrees for 20 min. You do the seasoning process 3 times before using them. I hope this helps!


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## subchef

Hello all,

  Saw this site and thought I would join. Recently made my own cannoli dowels, oak, 6" by 7/8" dia. Deep fried for a few minutes to seaon. Made some shells but the inside didn't completely cook through. The only way I got them crunchy was to "dry" them in a low 170 degree oven for a while. Could have been the dough wasn't rolled thin enough or maybe the dowels need more seasoning. I drilled out the center to make them hollow and will try again after another seasoning, plus a thinner dough. Everyone at home loved taste testing so will keep trying.


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## rat

OK lose the wood, it will be a bacterial trap eventually and the oil that soaks into it will go rancid. That is just my opinion. The local hardware store sells wood dowels in 3 foot lengths, but them if you must. I hardly believe that you can season a wood implement, but what do I know. I would go with the aluminum tubes that are being sold. Also a previous poster mentioned about the inside of the cannoli are not cooking, that is because of the wood and its insulative properties. A note from the past, when I competed in the culinary Olympics for the Grand Cayman team. We used an old beach chair with the aluminum tube frame, it yielded 24 5 inch tubes. We did not have time to source tubes from Miami with the one week turnaround. Good Luck, hope your cannoli's are delicious.


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## chefedb

I also cut a chairs  aluminum frame and have covered wood dowels in heavy duty foil . They both work good


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## john cangemi

Okay, I searched everywhere and found a great solution. This guy sells cannoli tubes made of aluminum and are NOT sealed. They are merely bent in a circle and their ends overlap by a good inch. They are strong enough to hold up to wrapping the dough, yet when they are warm enough to handle when done, you simply squeeze them a little and they get small enough to slide out...no more stuck and broken shells!


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## william sutton

the easiest way for cannoli's

if your tube is wood the dough will stick and you won't like it

try this

take a beer can ,using scissors cut off both ends,,,cut length wise.....and roll

like a sardine lid

make sure to taper

to remove the cooked shell,,,,simply wind the form a tighter and the tube will slide off

plus you have to make an empty beer can     ,,,,,,WIN!!!!    WIN!!!!!!!


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## bubbamom

My friends grandma (and mom) used a broom handle cut to about 5" lengths. And tust me when I sy they were about as authentic Italian as you get.


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## mbridge8

Stay away from aluminum.  Studies have shown that aluminum is link to alzheimer.


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## petemccracken

mbridge8 said:


> Stay away from aluminum. Studies have shown that aluminum is link to alzheimer.


Some studies have shown a degree of correlation, others not so much.


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## zuckerbaker

are the cannoli baked on the dowels or, baked flat then shaped on the dowels like brandy rolls (florentines). I have used a maple wooden broom handle cut to 6 inch lengths for brandy rolls, sanded with 150 grit. worked well. Make sure you choose a hardwood over common dowel material as the soft woods may flavour the pastry.I am working with a commercial cannoli that has only a 1' opening for the filling.


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## lauren1992

Hi, ok so with the cannoli tubes! Don't use the stainless steel!! 
Reasons 
- they sink the the bottom of fryer causing a flat edge and the pastry doesn't bubble.
- harder to remove off tubes.
- you can't really get a decent width with stainless steel.
- dowel is just better full stop


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## micheldb

Can you use any kind of wood for the cannoli forms?  Are they all good to put in hot oil?


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## socrates15

My mother has used wood dowels for years...  She used pine, but if I were to make them, I would get oak.  Do not use painted ones...

There is a chef on youtube who deep fries the cannoli shells by placing three on a large metal spoon basket then dips them in the fryer - that way they get cooked all around the shell and don't flip over. 

Use either stainless steel or wood.  I personally would not use aluminum - and be careful when you are using old aluminum chairs - you never know what else is in the aluminum as many times they are alloys.

DO NOT USE GALVANIZED SHEET METAL to roll up and form a tube as suggested.  You do not want to ingest the material that is coating the sheet metal (zinc, etc...) - that is just a nasty idea...


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