Zeppole di San Giuseppe for any Occasion

Directions

• To make the pastry dough, in a saucepan over medium heat, add the water and butter. Once the butter melts, let it come to a boil, and add the flour all at once. Mix quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Once the mixture has thickened, continue cooking until it detaches from the sides of the pan and a whitish patina forms on the bottom. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool. In the meantime, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Pour a little of the beaten eggs into the now lukewarm dough, and mix with a wooden spoon until they are incorporated. Add a pinch of salt and slowly add the remaining eggs, a little at a time. Continue adding the eggs gradually until you have a smooth and thick mixture. Place the dough in a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.3 cm) star nozzle.
• Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Secure the parchment paper with a little dough in the corners.
• Create the donuts by piping two rounds, one on top of the other, on the parchment paper to form a circle with a diameter of 4 inches (10 cm). Repeat with all the dough. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase the temperature to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the zeppole turn golden brown. Then, slightly open the oven door and bake for 5 minutes to dry the inside as well. Take your zeppole out of the oven and let them cool completely while preparing the custard.
• To make the custard, in a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and vanilla pod. Bring the mixture to a boil. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch, and whisk. As soon as the milk and cream begin to boil, remove and discard the vanilla pod and pour the milk onto the egg mixture, little by little, whisking quickly. Transfer the mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring until the cream thickens. Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool completely at room temperature (77°F [25°C]).
• Place the custard in a piping bag with the star nozzle. Use the piping bag tip to pierce each zeppole, squeeze a little cream inside and then fill them completely. Stuff all the donuts, then arrange them on a serving plate. Squeeze a dollop of cream into the center of each donut, place a cherry on each one and sprinkle with plenty of confectioners’ sugar, if using.