The best known Sicilian dessert begins with perfectly crisp, sweet pastry shells.

Cannoli historically were enjoyed in Sicily on special feast days and during carnevale. Today, they are enjoyed all year round and have emigrated from the island with its many expatriates abroad.

These hand-rolled pastries are wrapped around a piece of cane and deep-fried. The shells' sweetness is enriched by a hint of cinnamon. Traditionally stuffed with a creamy, seductive ricotta filling, but as in all foods Italian, regional variants - especially in Naples - abound.

Each package contains six hand-rolled shells. Made without preservatives or additives