Fried Zeppole di San Giuseppe with Pastry Cream and Cherries

What you need

• 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 1 lemon, zest pared off in wide strips
• 4 large egg yolks
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, plus 1 tsp for the dough
• 40 g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240 ml (1 cup) water
• 115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• vegetable oil, for deep frying, about 1.5 l (6 cups)
• 12 amarena cherries in syrup
• 30 g (1/4 cup) powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   For the cream, warm the milk with the lemon zest in a saucepan until it steams, 4-5 min.

2. 2

   In a bowl, whisk the yolks with 100 g (1/2 cup) of the sugar and the cornstarch until pale and smooth.

3. 3

   Fish out the lemon zest, then pour the hot milk into the yolks in a thin stream, whisking all the time.

4. 4

   Pour everything back into the pan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until it thickens and bubbles, then 1 min more. Stir in the vanilla.

5. 5

   Scrape the cream into a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

6. 6

   For the dough, bring the water, butter, the remaining 1 tsp sugar and the salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.

7. 7

   Take the pan off the heat, tip in all the flour at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains.

8. 8

   Return the pan to medium heat and keep stirring for 1 1/2-2 min. The dough is ready when it forms a smooth ball and leaves a thin film on the pan.

9. 9

   Move the dough to a mixing bowl and beat for 1 min to let off some steam.

10. 10

    Beat in the eggs one at a time, letting each disappear before adding the next. The dough should be glossy and fall from the beaters in a thick ribbon.

11. 11

    Cut 12 squares of parchment about 10 cm (4 in) wide. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a 7 cm (3 in) ring on each square, then a second ring on top.

12. 12

    Heat 5 cm (2 in) of oil in a heavy pot to 175 °C (350 °F).

13. 13

    Lower 2 or 3 zeppole into the oil paper side up and pull the paper away with tongs once it lets go, after about 30 seconds.

14. 14

    Fry, turning once or twice, until puffed and deep golden all over, 6-8 min. Drain on paper towels and let cool.

15. 15

    Pipe a generous swirl of the cream into the centre of each zeppola and top it with one of the cherries.

16. 16

    Dust with the powdered sugar and serve the same day.

Imported from natashaskitchen.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.