Bomboloni

It's National Cream Filled Doughnut Day...and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with my favorite breakfast of all time...Bomboloni!  The mere mention of these sweet, tender little bundles of delight transports me right back to Rome...to Caffe Tazza D'oro where I used to spend many a morning. Try them for yourself....even if you're not a huge doughnut fan..these give them a whole new meaning! 

Cream Filled Pastries/ Bomboloni con La Crema

            These
are my favorite Italian breakfast food.
They are sold in both bars and croissant shops, cornetterie for breakfast.
They are the Italian cousins of the American cream-filled doughnut.  They taste their best served fresh and warm.
For holidays and special occasions,  I
like to make the pastries and the cream. the night before.  That way all I have to before breakfast is remove
them from the refrigerator, fry the pastries and fill them with the cream.                                                                        Makes
14

Ingredients
for the bomboloni:

1/2
package (.3 ounces) fresh yeast

1/2
cup warm milk

1/4
cup sugar, plus extra for dusting

1/2
teaspoon salt

1
3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

1
teaspoon vanilla

2
1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3
cups canola oil

Ingredients
for the cream -filling:

3
egg yolks

3
tablespoons sugar

grated
zest of 1 lemon

1/8
cup unbleached, all -purpose flour

1
cup whole milk

Preparation:

                                                           

To
make the bomboloni dough:

In
a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and add 1/8 cup of sugar and the
salt.

Stir
well to incorporate.

Add
the flour, vanilla and butter.  Stir well
to form a dough.

Turn
the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until
the dough is smoothed.

Roll
the dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick.

Using
a 3-inch round cookie cutter, or the rim of a glass, cut into disks.

Move
the disks to another clean work surface dusted lightly with flour.

Bring
together the leftover scraps of dough, roll them out, and cut out the remaining
disks.

You
should end up with 14 disks.

Cover
them with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled.

You
could also refrigerate them, covered well, and fry them the next morning.

To
make the pastry cream:

In
a large bowl or the bowl to a standing mixer, beat the egg yolks, granulated
sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed, until they become lemon colored and
thick.

Reduce
speed to low.

Slowly
add the flour and beat until well blended.

Heat
milk almost to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan.

Turn
off heat just before milk boils.

Add
2 tablespoons of the hot milk to the egg mixture, while beating on low heat.

Continue
beating the mixture, and add the remaining warm milk in a slow, steady stream.

(Adding
the milk too fast or not beating the mixture while adding the milk will cause
the eggs to curdle).

Once
all of the milk has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat for 1
minute.

Pour
custard back into the medium saucepan. 

Cook
custard for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Custard
is done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through
it without the edges running into the middle.

Allow
to cool.

Cover
the top with plastic wrap so that it does not form a skin.

Refrigerate
until the bomboloni are ready to be
filled.

To
fry the bomboloni:

Heat
the canola oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat to 300 degrees F.

Fry
the bomboloni  4 or 5 at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes each
side, or until golden.

Remove
with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Dust
with sugar on each side.

Continue
with remaining doughnuts.

With
a small knife, make a hole halfway through the bomboloni, being careful not to puncture the sides.

Fill
a pastry bag with the cream. Pipe the cream into the center of each pastry,
taking care not to over stuff it.

Serve
warm.