- 3 H
- DIFFICULT
- 6 / 7 ZEPPOLE
That’s right, it’s still some time until 19 March, Father’s Day… But since this blog ‘collects’ all my favourite recipes, the zeppole di San Giuseppe could not possibly be missing. In Bergamo, #zeppolaofsangiuseppe is an almost unknown dessert 🙈 However, it is so good that you absolutely must try making it. Success guaranteed, my word!
Ingredients
- 150 g flour 00
- 4 eggs
- 50 gr butter
- 250 ml water
- 500 ml milk
- 150 gr sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 30 gr cornflour
- 25 gr rice starch
- Lemon peel
Preparation
Pour the water and butter into a small saucepan, let it melt and, as soon as the mixture comes to the boil, add all the flour. Stir quickly until the flour is completely absorbed and continue to cook until the dough comes away from the sides. Transfer the resulting mixture into a bowl and leave to cool. Meanwhile, beat the eggs. Once the mixture has cooled, add the eggs a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate them perfectly. We have to obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture: don’t be frightened if, initially, the mixture is “lumpy” because it is normal. The final mixture will be soft and firm, like that of a rather compact custard. Fill the pastry bag with the dough and make the zeppole directly on a baking tray lined with baking paper, making two turns, one on top of the other (the second turn should almost ‘close’ the zeppole, but leave the hole in the centre uncovered). Bake your zeppole in a preheated static oven at 200° for about 12 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown. Leave them to cool and proceed with the preparation of the custard.
FOR THE CREAM:
- Boil the milk with the lemon zest.
- In the meantime, in a bowl, mix the egg yolks and sugar well until they become slightly frothy.
- Add both sifted starches to the sugar and egg yolk mixture and mix until smooth and lump-free.
- When the milk comes to the boil, pour it into the mixture in the bowl (and stir well.
- Pour the mixture back into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat. Stir continuously during cooking to prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom and forming lumps. As soon as the mixture comes to the boil, remove your cream from the heat and pour it into an oven dish.
- Cover the cream with cling film, placing it on top so that a sort of ‘skin’ does not form. Let the cream cool and place it in the refrigerator for at least five hours.
Leave your cream at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Then fill the piping bag with the cream and fill the zeppole. Start from the centre of the zeppola and then make a circle around the starting point. Garnish with a black cherry in syrup and sprinkle with icing sugar.
Note
I chose not to fry the zeppole because they are also delicious in the oven, but remember that the original recipe for zeppole calls for them to be fried.)
