Photo: tavolartegusto.it

Presentation

Dessert consisting of choux pastry prepared with 00 flour, butter, eggs, salt and seed oil for frying, custard prepared with milk, eggs, sugar, potato flour and starch, and powdered sugar and sour cherries in syrup for decoration.

Ingredients

for about 16 medium-large pieces

Choux pastry:

“00” flour – 250 g (8.8 oz / ≈ 2 cups)

Water – 250 g / 250 ml (8.5 fl oz / 1 cup)

Butter (or lard) – 50 g (1.8 oz / ≈ 3½ tablespoons)

Eggs – 5–6 medium

Salt – 5 g (0.18 oz / ≈ 1 teaspoon)

Sunflower oil (for frying, or lard) – 1 liter (≈ 33.8 fl oz / 4¼ cups)

Thick custard:

Fresh whole milk – 460 g / 460 ml (15.5 fl oz / ≈ 2 cups)

Egg yolks – 6 medium

Sugar – 150 g (5.3 oz / ≈ ¾ cup)

“00” flour – 30 g (1 oz / ≈ 3 tablespoons)

Starch (cornstarch or potato starch) – 20 g (0.7 oz / ≈ 2 tablespoons)

Vanilla extract – 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz)

To decorate:

Powdered sugar – to taste (≈ 1–2 tablespoons / 8–16 g)

Sour cherries in syrup – 1 cherry per zeppola (≈ 10–15 g per piece / 0.35–0.53 oz)

Method

In a large saucepan, weigh the water

Add salt and butter in small pieces

Turn

When the butter is melted, wait for the mixture to boil

As soon as the first bubbles emerge, add the flour in one go and stir immediately.

Remove from the heat and continue to stir vigorously for a few seconds, so that the mixture absorbs all the flour, until the dough is thick and chewy and detaches from the walls of the pot

Place immediately on the heat and stir for a few more seconds

Pour the still hot dough onto a work surface

Roll out with a tarot so that it cools down:

Continue with your hands until the dough has cooled down.

Knead the dough by hand, slowly adding the eggs

Knead with the help of yourself and do not insert the second egg before the first is completely absorbed

Continue in this way until you run out of eggs.

The final dough must be soft and firm, like that of a very compact custard:

Assemble a piping bag with a flower spout, quite large ranging from 8 to 12 mm (the size of the zeppola depends on the size of the spout)

Fill the pastry bag with the dough made.

Form the zeppole directly in a baking tray lined with baking paper and held in place by chunks of dough.

Make 2 rounds, one on top of the other,

Take care to make the second turn further towards the inside of the wedge, so as to almost close the central hole:

Make the zeppole 4 – 5 cm apart and form 4 – 5 for each pan.

Heat the static oven well to 200 ° (ventilated at 180 °)

Bake the zeppole di San Giuseppe for 10 – 11 minutes, until they are slightly swollen forming a crust on the surface

After 110 minutes, the zeppole will come off easily:

Prepare a saucepan with high sides, where you can cook 1e zeppola at a time

Fill the saucepan with plenty of oil

Place it on medium heat to heat

After 3-4 minutes, lower the heat a little.

The oil must not be boiling at 165 ° – 170 ° and not at a higher temperature otherwise the zeppole will burn immediately without swelling and without cooking well.

Dip the zeppola which will rise to the surface with a few bubbles, but within a short time it will take color and swell:

Turn the zeppola with the help of a fork, cook for about 1 minute on each side

The zeppola is ready when it has doubled in volume within about 2-3 minutes.

Drain with a slotted spoon on a paper towel.

After a few minutes, transfer to a new sheet of absorbent paper.

Fry all the zeppole, taking care to change the oil periodically so that the last pieces do not take on a dark color

Let the Zeppole di San Giuseppe dry on absorbent paper for 1 hour

For the cream, whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla for about 2 minutes.

Add sifted flour and starch.

Mix until smooth and perfectly whipped.

In a saucepan, mix fresh cream and milk

Place on the heat and bring to a boil.

As soon as you see the very first bubbles, remove from the heat, quickly pour the mixture of egg yolk, sugar and flour into the milk and place on medium heat:

Turn quickly with a hand whisk and turn off the heat immediately: in a few seconds the custard is ready:

Turning, you will feel the cream immediately thick, to be removed from the heat.

Place immediately in a clean bowl and lower the temperature of the custard, stirring again quickly for another 40 – 40 seconds.

Cover it with plastic wrap

After leaving at room temperature for 5 minutes, place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes

After the time has elapsed, take it out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and stir quickly for 2 minutes, in order to make it smooth and creamy again

Fill a piping bag with an 8 mm flower nozzle.

Start from the center of the zeppola and then make a circle around the starting point and finish at the top.

Finally, garnish the center with a sour cherry in syrup

Serve.

Allergens

Sour cherries in syrup: possible presence of sulphites

Butter: milk allergens (except in clarified butter) if not clarified

Flour: contains gluten from cereals included in EU Regulation 1169/2011

Potatoes: possible individual intolerance; possible reactivity in case of allergy to Gramineae, Birch, Parietaria

Milk: included among the allergens in EU Regulation 1169/2011

Various seed oils: check for allergens among the ingredients on the label

Egg: included among the allergens in EU Regulation 1169/2011

Notes

To be prepared and handled under strict hygienic conditions.

The ingredients of the dish bring the following benefits:

Sour cherries: they promote diuresis, the functionality of the immune system and the cardiovascular system – Especially if consumed with the peel they provide folic acid linked to the production of serotonin and therefore favorable to good mood and counteract depression

Butter: source of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) favorable to the health of the eyes, mucous membranes, bones, immune system and blood clotting.

Whole milk: provides vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, promoting metabolism, cardiovascular function, tooth and bone health. The presence of tryptophan helps to counteract depression

Seed oil: source of Vitamin E that protects the immune system from harmful fatty acids. Useful for liver function for the supply of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

Salt: essential for the balance of body fluids and for the transmission of nerve impulses, it is however to be consumed respecting the limit of 5 g per day according to the indications of the WHO so as not to promote arterial hypertension and consequent increase in the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases starting from myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke; to be limited as much as possible in the case of nephropathy.

Eggs: source of Vitamin E which protects the immune system from harmful fatty acids. Rich in Vitamin D that fights mood disorders

Sugar: if consumed in moderation without contraindications (diabetes, obesity,) it is the main source of energy for the body, improves thinking ability, has a positive effect on mood.

Safety / Intended use

Product also intended for subjects suffering from:

• Anorexia-weight loss
• Mucositis (inflammation and lesions of the oral cavity)

Not recommended in case of:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Dysphagia