March 19th ~ Zeppole di San Giuseppe

March 19th

"O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath." "Saint Joseph, Patron of departed souls – pray for me.”

Good Morning on the Feast of St. Joseph!

Today I made Zeppole di San Giuseppe, which are basically cream puffs with some kind of cream filling.

Dough:

4 whole eggs

1 c flour 

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp corn (or potato) starch

1 tbsp sugar

1 c water

½ c butter (1 stick)

Melt together all of the ingredients except for the eggs + flour in a pot.

Remove from heat and add flour, mixing vigorously to form a paste.

Add one egg and fully combine.

Add the last three eggs and fully combine (stop mixing when the paste is still shiny-looking).

Form into 16 even balls spaced 3" apart on a baking sheet and press center w/ thumb.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins, then turn off the oven and leave them to rest for 10 mins (puffs should be lightly golden).

Set puffs on a cooling rack to cool. Once completely cooled, poke through the side of the puff w/ chopstick (or another such utensil) and make sure that the entire center is hallow.

Make cream filling while puffs bake...

Cream Filling:

2 egg yokes

⅔ c milk

½ c sugar

2 tbsp corn/potato starch

pinch of salt

3 lemons, zested and juiced

Whisk together egg yokes, sugar, starch, salt, lemon juice + zest in a pot.

Turn on low heat and add a splash of milk. Whisk constantly, adding more milk and increasing the heat slowly, but go no higher than medium heat. The cream will expand as it is whisked and then collapse and thicken as it cooks. Keep whisking until the cream filling falls off the whisk in a gloop, no running or dripping (about 10 mins).

Fill piping bag w/ cream and fill puffs.

At this point, they are officially 'cream-puffs'. 

;-P

Sprinkle generously w/ love + powdered sugar and enjoy!

Love,

Laney