Place flour, butter (diced), sugar, cocoa and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the egg whites and start kneading. Pour ¼ cup of marsala and keep kneading. Continue adding marsala, a tablespoon at the time, until you get a workable bread-like dough.

Roll out the dough and cut it in 1/8 inch tall discs. I used a medium plate (8-9 inches diameter) to cut it out into regular circles for the layered cake.

Heat 3 inches of frying oil in a tall and large enough to contain the discs pot, until it boils.

Puree the candied cherries with a hand blender or similar.

Press the ricotta through a fine sieve. Collect it in a bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon, and mix.

Add candied cherries and mix well.

Refrigerate until serving time.

Place a disc over your cake serving plate. Add a couple of scoops of ricotta cream and spread it all over. Sprinkle some cinnamon and a 1/2 a handful of pistachio grains. Add another disc and repeat until you finish all your layers. I had 6 discs and used 4, just to be sure I had enough if one (or two) would break or get burned.

End your layered cannoli cake with the remaining ricotta, sprinkled with cinnamon and pistachio grains. Garnish with a few pieces of a broken disc.

Serve immediately.