Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 sticks of butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 eggs

Directions:

Begin by making the Italian custard (recipe below).

Now on to the zeppole…

Place water, salt and butter into a saucepan.

Allow to come to a boil over medium heat.

Add all the flour at once and stir with wooden spoon until flour is fully absorbed.

Remove from heat and place dough into a bowl.

Spread dough to side of bowl to allow it to cool for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Using a hand mixer or a fork, add one egg at a time to the dough.

Mix well and continue process until all eggs are used.

Result should be a smooth pastry dough.

Place dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip.

Squeeze dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet into rosette circles (donut shaped).

Bake in a preheated 400F oven with door slightly held open with a cork or similar size object.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.

Do not remove from oven until cooled or they will flatten!

Fill with custard, top with a cherry and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Italian custard:

1 quart half and half (whole milk can be substituted)

4 eggs

¾ c sugar

1 ¼ c flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1. Pour the half and half into a small pan and place on low heat until warm.

2. Meanwhile, place the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon extract in a separate pan. Wisk until well blended. Add sifted flour and continue to whisk until creamy and smooth.

3. Add 1/3 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while stirring constantly until fully mixed. Repeat this step two more times so that all the milk is incorporated.

4. Place pan back on burner on low heat, stirring the entire time to avoid sticking and formation of lumps.

5. Bring to a gentle boil (about 5-7 minutes) and cook two more minutes, until the cream thickens to a pudding consistency.

6. Remove pan from stove and pour the cream into a glass bowl. Immediately cover with plastic wrap (sticking to the top of the cream) to avoid the formation of a “dry skin”.

7. Refrigerate until needed.

   
   

   
   

TIPS:

If you add a teaspoon of sugar to the flour before adding to the boiling water, the zeppole will appear more shiny.

Make sure baked zeppole cool down slowly in the oven before removing them.

You can fill zeppole with cream by slicing them in half horizontally or by using a long pastry tip attached to a pastry bag filled with custard.

You can substitute custard with cannoli filling.