Castagnole - An Italian Dessert

Ingredients

• The Pastry Cream Filler
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

The Castagnole

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons of rum
• The zest of half a lemon, finely chopped
• vegetable oil for frying, about 2 inches deep in your pot
• confectioners’ sugar to dust the Castagnole
• Makes 60-80 depending on size

Directions

1. The Pastry Cream
2. Place half the sugar in a mixing bowl and mix with the cornstarch. Slowly add the eggs and yolks and mix until allisincorporated.
3. Bring milk, cream, the rest of the sugar and scrapedvanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Add half the hotliquid to the yolk mixture. Place this back into the rest of the cream and place over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil whilewhiskingvery fast. The pastry cream should be a little thick. Whisk for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat and thentransferto a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator before piping into Castagnoles.

The Castagnoles

1. Mix the dry ingredients together, except the zest, and sieve them together into a bowl. Add eggs, rum butter and zest and mix till you have a soft smooth dough. Knead for a few minutes. Cutting a piece of dough at a time, roll the dough toform 2 cm thick cylinders.Cut the cylinders in pieces of the size of a large cherry and roll them between your hands to form little balls.
2. Meanwhile start heatingthe oil, in a fryer if or into a deep pot. The oil is ready when it reaches between 300˚F and 350˚F. If the oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly leaving the center half cooked. Once the oil is ready fry a few Castagnole at a time until golden brown and puffed up.
3. Remove cooked ones with a slotted spoon. Drain on papertowels and let cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Fill apastry bag fitted with a round tube with the pastry cream. Pipe a small amount into the center.