St. Joseph's Ricotta Cream Puffs

By dyannucci

Ingredients

• For the Filling
• 3 cups fresh ricotta , (preferably water buffalo)
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel, finely diced
• 1/4 cup candied lemon peel, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips, or bittersweet chocolate chopped in small pieces
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other orange flavored liquor
• For the Zeppole
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon orange peel, grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
• 6 cups vegetable oil, (if frying the zeppole)
• confectioners' sugar

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from lidiasitaly.com

Preparation

Step 1

A day before preparing the filling: Line a sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter. Place the ricotta over the cheesecloth and the sieve over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to one day. Discard the liquid that drains into the bowl.

Combine the drained ricotta and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor. Process until creamy. Add Gran Marnier and process until incorporated. Scrape the ricotta mixture into a bowl and stir in the candied fruits and chocolate chips. Store covered in the refrigerator until needed, up to 2 days.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil. Add the flour all at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball around the spoon. Remove from heat and quickly beat in 1 egg at a time, beating until batter is smooth after each addition. Add the orange and lemon zest and continue beating until mixture is smooth and glossy.

For the fried version: In a heavy, 3-quart pot, heat the vegetable oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Carefully drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the batter into the oil, about 6 at a time. (There should be enough room in the pot for the zeppole to float freely.) Fry, turning the zeppole as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat under the pot to maintain the temperature of the oil as the zeppole fry. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter allowing the oil to return to 350 degrees F before continuing, if necessary.

For the baked version: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased or non-stick baking pan. Bake until evenly and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until medium golden brown and a zeppole feels very light when picked up from the baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.