Cannoli

Drain the ricotta. Put it in the refrigerator in a colander overnight, or up to a day ahead of using it. You will get as much as a cup of liquid out of it, so prepare accordingly. Add the sugar to the drained ricotta in a bowl, and mash it up. Add the vanilla. Stir it up again. Filling the shells is best left to the last moment, since the remaining liquid in the filling will make the shells soggy. Spoon the filling into the shells from one or both ends. They can be decorated with chocolate flakes, shaved almonds dusted in cinamon sugar, or simply immediately eaten. Variation: Use ground peanuts for 1/8" nugget sized nuts to sprinkle on the filling that sticks out the end of the shell.