Cannoli Filling (Traditional)

Put the ricotta in a bowl and fold in the whipped cream, adding the sugar as you fold. Chop the candied fruits to tiny slivers no bigger than a grain of rice and fold in all but about a teaspoonful. Add the vanilla.

Using a spatula or a broad knife, fill the cannoli first from one end and then from the other. Press the filling gently to make sure the center is full. Scrape each end to smooth out the cream and decorate the ends by dipping them in the remaining candied fruit slivers.

Alternately, you can fill a pastry bag with the filling, and pipe it into the cannoli shells.

Notes: The cannoli should not be filled too long before serving, as that softens the pastry. The filling, however, can be chilled, and both parts of this elegant dessert can be made ahead of time and assembled shortly before the meal.