Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • PASTRY DOUGH
  • 2 cup(s) water
  • 1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
  • 2 stick(s) butter, unsalted
  • 2 cup(s) flour
  • 2 teaspoon(s) sugar
  • 8 - eggs
  • 3 tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract
  • FILLING
  • - custard (see below)
  • GARNISH
  • - custard filling recipe (see link in comments)
  • - cherry pie filling, marachino cherries or preserved wild cherries
  • - powdered sugar

Instruction

  • Preheat oven at 400 F.
  • Place the water, salt, sugar and butter in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and dump the flour in all at once, whisking it all in.
  • Return to the burner start stirring with a wooden spoon.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough starts to pull easily from the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 3 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and stir until tepid, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring in each one completely before adding the next.
  • Stir in the vanilla. Cool completely.
  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the dough into a pastry bag with a 1-inch star tip and pipe 2-inch rings onto the trays, as many as can fit.
  • Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, then at 375 F for 15-20 minutes until evenly browned. Remove and let cool.
  • When cool, carefully slice rings in half and scoop out eggy wet dough. Fill with custard and place cap of pastry on top.
  • Top each zeppole with custard in middle and top with cherry. Sprinkle Powdered sugar on top.
  • NOTE: You can also fry this dough in oil after you pipe them until golden brown and then just fill the middle of the rings with custard and top with a cherry filling, preserved wild cherries or a maraschino cherry.