Wonton Cannoli
Wonton skins fried around cannoli moulds, filled with pandan coconut custard cream and rolled in toasted coconut peanut crumb.
Pandan Wonton Cannoli
A fusion dessert that wraps wonton skins around cannoli moulds and fries them into crisp, blistered shells, then fills them with a pandan-scented coconut custard cream. The technique is straightforward but the custard must be fully chilled before the shells are fried, so plan accordingly.
Equipment
- 1 medium mixing bow
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 fine-mesh sieve for passing through the pastry cream
- 1 shallow tray for cooling custard (otherwise a bowl will suffice)
- plastic wrap for the pastry cream
- 1 piping bag with plain round nozzle nozzle should be small enough to fit inside the cannoli
- 1 wire rack with tray underneat to cool cannoli
- 6 cannoli moulds you will fry the cannoli in batches
- tongs
- 1 deep fryer alternatively a deep and thick stainless steel saucepan
- 1 electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Pandan Coconut Custard Cream
- 500 g full cream milk
- 200 g coconut cream well shaken before opening tin
- 8 egg yolks room temperature
- 140 g caster sugar
- 60 g cornflour
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp pandan flavouring
- 60 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
Wonton Cannoli Shells
- 24 square wonton wrappers
- 1 egg white lightly whisked with water
- 3 g water to whisk with egg white
- 2 L neutral oil adjust for your deep fryer, or enough to cover the cannoli in the saucepan
Toasted Coconut Peanut Crumb
- 40 g shredded coconut lightly toasted and cooled
- 35 g roasted peanuts finely chopped
- 10 g icing sugar sifted
Instructions
Pandan Coconut Custard Cream
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour, and salt until smooth, slightly pale, and free of any dry lumps.
- Add the full cream milk and coconut cream to the saucepan and heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until steaming but not boiling.
- Slowly pour about one third of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to gradually temper the yolks.
- Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping into the corners, until the custard thickens and begins to bubble.
- Once bubbling, continue cooking for a further 60 seconds while whisking firmly – the custard should start looking smooth, glossy, and hold ridges from the whisk.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the pandan flavouring and cold cubed butter until the custard is smooth and evenly pale green.
- Pass the custard through the sieve into the shallow tray and spread into a thin layer to speed up cooling.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until completely cold.
- Once cold, transfer the custard to a bowl and whisk until smooth and loosened into a thick, glossy cream.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle, or cut a small-medium opening, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Add pandan flavouring gradually – the custard should be pale pandan green, not fluorescent.
Wonton Cannoli Shells
- Set the deep fryer to 175°C and place a wire rack over a tray for draining.
- Mix the lightly whisked egg white with 3g of water until loose and brushable.
- Lay one wonton wrapper on the bench as a diamond and keep the remaining wrappers covered so they do not dry out.
- Place a cannoli mould across the centre of the wrapper, fold one corner over the mould, and roll the wrapper into a tight tube.
- Brush the final corner with a small amount of egg white mixture and press it onto the wrapper to seal – seal wrapper to wrapper only, not to the metal mould.
- Place the wrapped mould seam side down and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
- Fry 6 shells at a time at 175°C for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until deeply golden, blistered, and crisp.
- Lift the shells with tongs and drain on the wire rack for 1 to 2 minutes until cool to touch.
- Carefully slide each shell off its mould while still warm, twisting gently if they resist.
- Let the shells cool completely on the rack.
Do not pull them from the oil while pale – underfrying produces shells that taste floury and soften rapidly. They should be done after the oil stops bubbling aggressively.
The moulds can be pressed inwards, which will release the cannoli from the mould.
Do not rest them on paper towel, as trapped steam will soften the underside.
Toasted Coconut Peanut Crumb
- Combine the toasted shredded coconut, finely chopped roasted peanuts, and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl and mix until evenly combined.
Assembly
- Pipe the pandan coconut custard cream into one end of each shell starting from the centre, then turn the cannoli and pipe from the centre until the shell feels full but not overstuffed.
- Sprinkle the toasted coconut peanut crumb on both exposed cream ends to coat.
- Dust lightly with sifted icing sugar immediately before serving.
Serve immediately — once filled, the cannoli are best eaten within 15 to 20 minutes before the cream softens the shells.
Notes
Storage
- Unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- The custard cream can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Once filled, the cannoli are best eaten within 15 to 20 minutes.
Key pitfalls:
- Start the custard first – it needs at least 2 hours to chill completely and can’t be rushed into the piping bag.
- Cook the custard until bubbling, then hold it there for a full 60 seconds. Pulling it too early leaves undercooked cornflour that makes the filling loose and starchy.
- Fry the shells until properly golden and blistered, not just set. Pale shells soften almost immediately once filled.
- Cool the shells on a wire rack only. Paper towel traps steam beneath the shell and softens the underside before you even fill them.
