Zeppole and Sfinge

40 mins
Serves 8
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Directions

  1. 1Prepare the custard: Heat whole milk, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  2. 2Whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar together.
  3. 3Add all-purpose flour and cornstarch to the egg yolk mixture.
  4. 4Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk, then combine and cook until thick.
  5. 5Add salt to the custard and chill.
  6. 6Prepare the dough: Bring water, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt to a boil.
  7. 7Add flour to the boiling mixture and cook for 2 minutes until it forms a ball.
  8. 8Cool the dough slightly.
  9. 9Mix in three eggs one at a time until the dough (thick batter) comes together and is smooth.
  10. 10Pipe the dough into rings using a large star tip to make eight good-sized Zeppole.
  11. 11For baked Zeppole, brush with egg wash and bake in a 375°F oven for 40 minutes.
  12. 12For fried Zeppole, cut parchment paper around each Zeppole, then drop them into 325°F oil with the parchment paper.
  13. 13Fry large Zeppole at 325°F for 7 minutes on each side until puffed, golden, and cooked through.
  14. 14For Sfinge, drop tablespoonfuls of dough carefully into hot oil and fry at 325°F for 7 minutes on each side.
  15. 15Let all Zeppole and Sfinge cool completely.
  16. 16Fill the Zeppole with custard.
  17. 17Fill the Sfinge with ricotta filling (ricotta, granulated sugar, mini semisweet chocolate chips).
  18. 18Top Zeppole with a maraschino cherry and powdered sugar.
  19. 19Top Sfinge with a candied cherry and optionally candied citrus like orange peel.

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups Whole Milk
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • 4 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 0.125 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 lemon Lemon Zest
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 4 Tbsp Granulated sugar
  • 0.5 lemon lemon Zest
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 Eggs
  • 2 cups Ricotta or Whole Milk ricotta drained overnight over a sieve in the fridge
  • 0.5 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 0.75 cup Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • Candied orange peel for topping
  • Candied Cherry for topping
  • amarena cherries for the zeppole
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • powdered sugar

Equipment

whisklarge star tipparchment paperovenfrying oiltablespoonsieve

Tips

  • When frying, cut the parchment paper around each Zeppole to drop them into the oil with the paper.
  • For large Zeppole, fry at 325°F for 7 minutes on each side; for smaller ones, fry at 350°F for about 4 minutes each side.
  • Do not rush the frying process to ensure they are cooked through.
  • Let the fried Zeppole and Sfinge cool completely before adding fillings.
  • For Sfinge, the ricotta filling is similar to cannoli filling.