Zeppole Di San Giuseppe
Ingredients – For 10 Zeppole
For the Choux Pastry
- 185ml of Water
- 165g of Butter
- 175g of 00 Flour
- 25ml of Whole Milk
- 270g of Whole Eggs
- 2g of Salt
- 1 Pinch of Sugar
For the Custard
- 800ml of Fresh Whole Milk
- 200g of Fresh Cream
- 300g of Egg Yolks
- 300g of Sugar
- 35g of Corn Starch
- 35g of Rice Starch
- 1/2 Bourbon Vanilla Bean
For Decoration
- Icing Sugar, to taste
- Sour Cherries in Syrup, to taste
Method
For the Choux Pastry
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, bring the water, the butter cut into small pieces, the salt and a pinch of sugar to the boil. Melt over medium heat (the butter must melt completely).
Pour in the flour all at once and mix very quickly; let the dough cook on the stove for a couple of minutes, continuing to stir over low heat.
Now transfer the dough to a mixer with the hook attachment and let it run on low speed for 1-2 minutes to cool the dough slowly.
Separately, in a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk and the eggs little by little to the dough; proceed in succession, that is, only when the previous ones have been absorbed, add the others.
In the end, you will get a dough with a consistency similar to a thick cream. Transfer the mixture into a bag (I used a star nozzle for the zeppole, but for the classic beignets use a smooth nozzle).
Grease the trays with a little oil and dry them from the excess oil with kitchen paper. Be careful not to use parchment paper as it would prevent the puffs from rising.
Give the shape of the doughnut for the zeppole or to round bites for the classic cream puffs by placing them well between them (they will grow a lot during cooking).
Bake in a static oven, on the medium-high part for 15-18 minutes, depending on the oven.
When cooked, when they are swollen and golden, turn off the heat and open the door by inserting the handle of a wooden spoon, in order to let the humidity out; after a couple of minutes remove the pan from the oven leaving the puffs to dry.
Before making them wait until they are completely cold.
For the Custard Cream
Whip the egg yolks with the sugar (they must whip very well, they must incorporate air) and add the corn and rice starch. Meanwhile, bring the milk and fresh cream to a boil in the saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add the whipped egg whipped to the milk and cream at once. Stir with a whisk and cook for another 1 minute.
Cool it quickly in a water bath with ice and water or in the freezer, after having covered it in contact with cling film.
Proceed with the filling, having made the shape of zeppole (I filled them inside and a little on the surface).
Decorate with black cherries in syrup and sprinkle with vanilla icing sugar.