Zeppole Recipe

Directions

1. For Dough
2. 1
   Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) on convection mode.
3. 2
   For the dough, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth dough ball forms.
4. 3
   Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Gradually stir in the eggs until a smooth, thick dough forms.
5. 4
   Fill the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
6. 5
   Pipe the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in circles. Bake the zeppole in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Avoid opening the oven door during baking to prevent the zeppole from collapsing. After baking, wedge a wooden spoon into the oven door to slowly release the air and prevent the zeppole from collapsing. Only open it after it has completely cooled.
7. 6
   For the filling, heat the milk in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the filling cool.
8. 7
   Carefully halve the cooled zeppole with a small knife. Fill a piping bag with a small tip with the filling and pipe it onto the bottom half of the zeppole. Place the top half on top.
9. 8
   Pipe some of the filling on top and add a dollop of cherry jam. Dust with powdered sugar.