Yesterday my sister and I went on a nostalgic walking tour of Boston’s North End, poking our noses into the Cantina Italiana where we had our first Shirley Temple “cocktails” many decades ago; into the firehouse where our uncle Tom worked; and into Copp’s Hill Burying Ground for a quick brush-up course on the Colonial era.
We also made the obligatory trip to Mike’s Pastry shop on Hanover Street. No one goes to the North End without at least a peek into Mike’s….and most people emerge with powdered sugar on their smiling faces.
When I visited Mike’s as a kid, the bakery was already known for its excellent cannoli. In those days there were, maybe, two or three kinds – plain cream, cream mixed with chopped dried fruits, and maybe cream with chocolate chips. Yesterday I was blown away by the variety of cannoli and the over-the-top exuberance with which they are now decorated.
We’re talking pecan caramel cannoli, Oreo cannoli, espresso, hazelnut, and chocolate mousse cannoli. There’s even a peanut butter cannoli, forpetessake. Sixteen kinds in all. Some rather simple, just the fried pastry shell filled with flavored cream. But others drenched in chocolate, drizzled with icing, and pressed into chocolate chips and bits.
Frankly, I figured these tarted-up versions of the Sicilian staple would be too sweet, too artificial, too, well, just too-too. I asked the woman behind the counter which one I should try and she recommended the Limoncello cannoli. I’m not a huge fan of this popular Italian liqueur, but I gave it a shot.
One bite, and I was one of those smiling faces, dusted with powder sugar, walking out of the shop. The shell (said to be handmade) was admirably light and crisp; the voluminous cream filling was subtly sweetened with just a hint of Limoncello fragrance and flavor.
For folks who can’t get to Mike’s in person, there’s now a cannoli kit available at Mike’s on-line. I can’t attest to the quality of cannoli that are shipped hither and yon. But, at $30 for a kit of 10 shells, creams, chocolate chips, real pistachios and powdered sugar, it’s a fun adventure.
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