MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Zeppole Di San Giuseppe
 Categories: Desserts, Italian
      Yield: 1 Batch
 
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      1 c  Water
      5 oz All-purpose flour
      3    Eggs
      1 oz Butter
      1 pn Salt

MMMMM------------------------PASTRY CREAM-----------------------------
      2    Egg yolks
      2 oz Sugar
      1 tb All-purpose flour
      1 c  Milk
           Lemon zest
           Extra virgin olive oil; to
           -taste
           Frying oil; to taste (I use
           -olive oil)
           Confectioners sugar; to
           -taste
           Sour cherry in syrup
 
  These were often purchased at Italian pastry shops.
  
  Pastry Dough:
  
  Pour water into a saucepan and add the salt and butter. Bring to a
  boil, while stirring. Add the flour, leaving the pan on the heat, and
  mix the batter well using a spoon until the batter is smooth and no
  longer sticks to the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat
  and transfer the batter to a bowl to cool. Once the batter reaches
  room temperature, add the eggs, one at a time and mix together. Once
  the batter is fairly light and airy, place the dough in the
  refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
  
  Pastry Cream:
  
  Put the milk into a saucepan. Add the lemon peel and bring to a boil.
  Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar. Add the flour, whisking
  continuously. Once the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat
  and slowly add the egg, sugar and flour mixture, whisking as you go.
  The resulting mixture should be soft and creamy. Then transfer the
  mixture to the stove over medium heat. Stir continuously until the
  cream becomes fairly dense. Transfer the cream to a bowl and cover
  with plastic wrap while it cools. Be sure to cover the bowl well so
  that a film doesn't form on the surface of the cream. While you wait
  for the cream to cool, prepare the pastries (fritters).
  
  To shape the pastry dough, place the pastry dough batter in a pastry
  bag with a star-shaped tip. Cut out 2" squares of aluminum foil and
  grease one side of the squares with extra virgin olive oil. Using the
  pastry bag, form a ring of dough on each foil until you have used all
  the batter. Fill a pot with frying oil and place over high heat.
  
  When the oil is hot, place the fritters in the oil, two at a time,
  with the foil. Do not cook more than two at a time or else the oil
  will not stay hot. The foil will separate from the fritters in the
  hot oil.
  
  When brown, remove the fritters using a slotted spoon and place them
  to drain on paper towels while you fry the remaining batter. Once the
  fritters are cool enough to handle, fill another pastry bag with the
  pastry cream.
  
  Place a dollop of pastry cream on each fritter, top each one with a
  cherry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  
  Posted by: Janis Kracht
 
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