Zeppole di San Giuseppe (Fried Choux Rings with Pastry Cream)

Vanilla pastry cream

• 400 ml Whole milk
• 1 medium Lemon
• 90 g Caster sugar
• 30 g Cornflour
• 3 Egg
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 25 g Unsalted butter

Choux rings and finishing

• 125 ml Whole milk
• 60 g Unsalted butter
• 10 g Caster sugar
• 80 g Plain flour
• 2 Egg
• 900 ml Sunflower oil
• 25 g Icing sugar
• 8 Maraschino cherries

1. Make the pastry cream first. Put the milk in a saucepan with strips of lemon peel (use a vegetable peeler) and bring just to a simmer, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk the caster sugar and cornflour together, then whisk in the eggs until smooth. Reheat the milk until steaming, then slowly whisk it into the egg mixture; return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 2 to 4 minutes until thick and bubbling.
3. Take off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and unsalted butter until glossy. Tip into a bowl, press a sheet of baking paper directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming, and chill until cold and pipeable, about 40 minutes.
4. While the cream chills, make the choux. Put the milk, unsalted butter and caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture just comes to a boil.
5. Tip in the plain flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Keep cooking the dough for 1 to 2 minutes to dry it slightly; a thin film on the base of the pan is fine.
6. Scrape the dough into a mixing bowl and leave for 5 minutes so it is warm rather than hot. Beat in the eggs one at a time until you have a thick, glossy paste that drops from the spoon in a smooth V shape.
7. Spoon the choux into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe 8 rings onto small squares of baking paper, piping a second ring on top of the first to create a taller shape.
8. Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry the rings in batches, lowering them in on their paper squares; after 30 to 60 seconds, peel away the paper with tongs and continue frying for 5 to 7 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
9. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain well, then leave to cool for 10 minutes so the centres set. If needed, return the oil to temperature between batches.
10. Whisk the chilled pastry cream briefly until smooth, then pipe a generous swirl into the centre of each zeppola. Dust with icing sugar and finish each one with a maraschino cherry.

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