Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Ingredients

• 50 g 2 oz butter
• 1 Tbs sugar ( optional)
• 250 g 1 cup water
• a tiny pinch of salt
• 150 g 1 cup flour (preferably of the "OO" variety)
• 3-4 eggs (beaten)
• 2 egg yolks
• 75 g 1/3 cup sugar
• 20 g 2 Tbs flour or corn starch
• 250 ml 2 cups milk (or equal parts milk and cream)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or a vanilla bean, split open)
• confectioner's (aka powdered) sugar
• black cherries in syrup (preferably amarene or best quality maraschinos)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the choux pastry base ---

2. 2

   In a saucepan, bring the butter and water to a simmer. When the butter has melted, take off the heat and whisk in all the flour. Return to the heat and stir vigorously over a gentle flame for a minute or two, until the dough forms a smooth ball.

3. 3

   Turn the dough into the bowl of a standing mixer, spread it out over the bottom and sides with a spoon or spatula to speed cooling. Let it cool completely.

4. 4

   Place the bowl on the standing mixer with the whisk attached. Set the speed to medium and add the beaten eggs to the bowl one by one. Continue whisking the eggs into the dough until it obtains a smooth, thick paste-like consistency.

5. 5

   Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the dough. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, pipe doughnut shaped swirls of the dough about 8-10cm (3-4 inches) wide. Go round twice so that each zeppola has two layers of pastry.

6. 6

   Bake your zeppole at 200C/400F for 25-30 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.

7. 7

   Place them on a rack and let them cool complete

8. 8

   --- Make the pastry cream ---

9. 9

   In a standing mixer bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and the mixture forms ‘ribbons’ as the whisk rotates. Then add the flour or cornstarch slowly, bit by bit, into the mixture until fully incorporated. The mixture should be a pale yellow and quite fluffy.

10. 10

    Meanwhile, heat the milk (or milk and cream) over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. You will see little bubbles just beginning to form around the edge of the pot. (If you are using a vanilla bean, add it to the milk and let it steep for a few minutes, then remove it.) Take the milk off the heat and drizzle it, little by little, into the mixer bowl.

11. 11

    Now pour the whole thing from the bowl into the pot (along with the vanilla extract if using) and put it over very gentle heat, whisking continuously and vigorously. After a while, it should begin to thicken. Keep stirring until you have a thick custard.

12. 12

    Remove from the heat, and let the mixture cool completely. It will thicken further as it cools.

13. 13

    --- Assemble your zeppole ---

14. 14

    Shortly before you're ready to eat, dust each of the zeppole with confectioner's sugar.

15. 15

    Then, using a star tipped pastry bag, pipe a good swirl of the pastry cream in the center of each zeppola, making sure to completely cover the hole in the middle.

16. 16

    Finally, place a cherry in the middle of the pastry cream.

17. 17

    Serve immediately, or within an hour or two.