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Joanne, my sister-in-law, provided me the following recipe.  She is a fantastic cook!  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Ingredients for Cannoli Shells:

• 3 Cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp shortening
• 2 eggs well beaten
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg white slightly beaten (for sealing)
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions for Cannoli Shells:

• Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt
• Cut shortening in with a pastry blender until the size of small peas
• Stir in eggs
• Blend in vinegar and water
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes
• Add additional flour, if needed, to get a smooth dough
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Set out 6 cannoli tubes
• Heat oil to 360 degrees
• Cut an oval-shaped pattern out of cardboard about 6 x 4 inches or you may use a cookie cutter of this size
• Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 thickness
• Place the pattern on dough and cut out as many as will fit on the dough
• Wrap dough loosely around tubes, slightly overlapping opposite ends
• Seal ends by brushing with egg whites and pressing together
• Fry only as many shells as will float uncrowded in the hot oil
• Fry until golden brown 3-4 minutes
• Remove shells to paper towels to drain
• Cool slightly and remove tubes, then cool shells completely
• Fill shells with ricotta filling (see recipe below) either a small spoon or pastry bag from both ends no more than one hour before serving.  Otherwise, the shell will become soggy
• Sprinkle the ends with nuts and powdered sugar.

Ricotta Filling (or you may use custard filling in lieu of ricotta):

• 4 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• Optional: 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup nuts coarsely chopped
• After filling cannoli shells, dust with powered sugar on top.  Sprinkle the nuts on each end.