Zeppole di San Giuseppe/ St. Joseph’s day Crullers

Ingredients:

• Makes about 12 crullers
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 6 tablespoons butter
  
• pinch salt
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 4 eggs
  
• oil for frying
  
• thick pastry cream*
  
• Sour cherry preserves
  
• 1 cup powder sugar 

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar. Place the mixture over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring a few times. As soon the liquid begin to boil (and the butter is completely melted), remove the pot from the heat. Add all the flour and stir very well and vigorously, until the mixture comes together as dough.
2. Return the saucepan to low heat and stir until the mixture is very smooth, glossy, and begins to form a slight film on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. (if using a non stick pan, there will be no film formed as an indicator.)
3. Break the eggs, 1 at the time, into the dough, and, before adding the next, beat each egg in a very well until it is incorporated into the dough and the dough has become smooth again. ( I use a handheld electric mixer because this is a tight dough and otherwise requires  considerable straight and stamina to beat it.) When all the eggs have been added, you should have a smooth, thick paste. It may be prepared a day ahead, but the zeppole should be fried within hours before eating them.
4. Cut the parchment paper into 12 4-inch squares.
5. Using a pastry bag or piping tube fitted with a ½ inch star tip (#6) pipe 3-to 3 ½ inch circles of dough onto the parchment squares.
6. In a 10 to 12 inch skillet, heat ½ inch of oil to 375 to 380 degrees and fry the zeppole a couple or a few at the time, depending on the size of the skillet. Place the zeppole in the oil with the parchment paper on the top.  Using tongs, remove the parchment paper after about 10 seconds. This will require a little up-and-down jiggling of the paper, and a motion of peeling the paper back and off the frying dough. The zeppole should not fry very fast. It should take more then a minute for the first side to become a medium golden. Do not let it get fully, deeply golden. You know the temperature is correct if, after turning the zeppole to the second side, the first fried, already golden side start splitting open. This indicated that the center is cooking and expanding. Let the second side get golden, then turn over again to finish the first side. If the temperature is correct- about 375 degrees- the whole process takes 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the zeppole well on absorbent paper before topping with pastry cream and serving. For the traditional St. Joseph’s Day preparation, arrange the zeppole on a serving plate. Pipe or spoon into the center of each a couple of the tablespoons of pastry cream, swift the powder sugar, then garnish with a small spoonful of sour cherry preserves or a candied cherry.

*Pastry cream Recipe

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1-quart milk
  
• 1/8-teaspoon salt
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
  

1. Set a clean, dry, nonreactive bowl and a sturdy rubber spatula near the stove. Put a large, fine strainer over a large bowl, ready to pour hot pastry cream through it.
2. In another bowl, mix the flour with 1 cup of the sugar. Wisk in the eggs until smooth. The mixture will be very thick.
3. In a 2 ½  to 3 quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the milk, the remaining cup of sugar, and the salt. Scald over a medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scorch  or form a skin. When the milk has a ring of small bubbles around the edge of the pan, remove it form the heat and, with a whisk, stir 1 cup of the milk, a little at the time, into the flour and egg mixture. Whisk in another cup of hot milk, then pour the now –tempered flour and egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking constantly. Still whisking constantly, but slowly, over a medium-to-medium low heat, cook the mixture until it thickens. Pull it off the heat at the first sign of a boil, as soon as the first bubble breaks on the surface. This will take about 5 minutes.
4. Immediately pour the hot pastry cream through the strainer and into the bowl, using the spatula to remove it all from the pan and to push it through the sieve. Stir in the vanilla.
5. Cover the very surface of the cream with wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent a skin to forming. Refrigerate for at least several hours, or until chilled.

Pastry cream can be refrigerated for several days.

Recipe from Naples at the tables by Arthur Schwartz

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