Zeppole of San Giuseppe (Massimo Zoli)

Zeppole of San Giuseppe (Massimo Zoli)

Antonella Audino

 

Time of realization: 70 minutes
Degree of difficulty (1 to 5): 2
Ingredients for 20 donuts

Zeppole pasta:
225 g of water
125 g of butter
150 g flour
200 g of eggs
1 pinch of salt

Custard:
200 g of fresh cream
300 g of whole milk
100 g of sugar
50 g of frumina
2 eggs
1 pinch of salt
½ lemon peel only

To fill and decorate:
custard
amarena
icing sugar

Method

donuts:
Before starting, I wanted to reiterate the fact that in pastry, even at home, weight and weights are essential for the success of a recipe. If the total number of eggs is 200 g, asking how many eggs they correspond to is wrong because indicatively the weight of an average egg on the market is 25 g, but it is not certain and if each egg weighs 5 g more, why shopping we take them XL and they are not weighed, I assure you that you will throw everything away !! The dough with those 20 g more "loosens", will become semi-liquid, adding flour to remedy the mistake only makes things worse .... so sometimes a little more patience is rewarded by the success of the recipe.

Put the water with the butter into small pieces in a saucepan so that when the water boils the butter will be melted and will not evaporate unnecessarily, again for the above reasoning for which weights are fundamental.
Combine the flour in one go and turn vigorously until the dough comes off the bottom, it will take yes and no 40 seconds.
Allow this mixture to cool by stirring occasionally, only when it is almost cold add the lightly beaten eggs making sure that they are absorbed before the next insertion. Proceed with this operation with the classic electric mixer or in a planetary mixer with a whisk.
After completing the insertions, pour the mixture into the sac a poche and form the cream puffs directly in the pan on parchment paper. I use rimless pans because they give a more even cooking, but baking pans are fine.
Bake at 200 ° C in a hot oven for 25 minutes, the last 10 minutes in ventilated mode.
Turn off the oven and put in the slit for 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool before filling.

Custard:
Beat the eggs with the sugar until they are high and soft. Add the frumina and whip again. In the meantime, bring the milk to the boil with the cream and pour over the whipped mixture, stirring well to mix everything, place on the heat until it thickens and continue cooking for a few minutes, always stirring. Turn off and insert some pieces of lemon peel to be removed after a couple of minutes.

Stuff the cream puffs either by pushing the base with a long narrow spout or cut in half and stuff. Make a nice sprig of cream on top and place a sour cherry, sprinkle with icing sugar.