St Jospeh Zeppole (Zeppole di S. Giuseppe)

By zircon50

Ingredients

• PASTRY:
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• FILLING:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• Maraschino cherries

Preparation

Step 1

TO MAKE THE PASTRY:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

With a wooden spoon, beat in flour all at once. Return to low heat.

Continue beating until mixture forms a ball and leaves side of pan. Remove from heat.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating hard after each addition until smooth.

Continue beating until dough is satiny and breaks in strands. Allow the mixture to cool.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a large star tip.

For each pastry, pipe a 2-1/2 -inch spiral with a raised outer wall on the baking sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before filling.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.

In a bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolks.

Whisk milk mixture into sugar mixture.

Place the saucepan over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.

Boil for 1 minute; remove from heat.

Stir in rum, orange zest, and vanilla.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl.

Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate until cold.

Fold in the whipped cream.

TO ASSEMBLE THE ZEPPOLE:
Cut the pastries in half horizontally.

Transfer the filling mixture to a pastry bag with a star tip.

Pipe some of the filling onto the cut side of the bottom half of each pastry.

Place the top half of the pastry on the filling.

Pipe a small amount of the filling into the hole in the center of each pastry.

Place a maraschino cherry in the middle.

Dust the pastries with confectioners' sugar.

(Makes about 12 (2-1/2-inch) zeppoles