Italian Cream Puffs With Custard Filling St Josephs Day Pastries Food

ST. JOSEPH'S DAY CREAM PUFFS / SFINGI DI SAN GIUSEPPE

Steps:

• For cream puffs: Combing butter, salt and water in a sauce pan.
• Bring mixture to a boil.
• Add flour all at one time, mixing well by hand (with a wooden spoon), until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
• Remove pan from heat, and let cool a little.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add sugar and grated lemon and orange peels, and mix thoroughly (dough should have a slight gloss or sheen to it).
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line a large sheet (or jelly roll) pan with parchment.
• Attach a# 4 tip (large star tip) to a pastry bag.
• Fill the pastry bag with the dough, and squeezing the dough through the bag, form donut shaped circles on the parchment, be careful that you do not move the bag too quickly or the dough will be stretched too thin.
• The dough circles should be about 1 inch thick.
• Leave a 2-inch space between each circle.
• Bake at 400F for about 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and bake for 30 minutes more or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven, carefully cut a small slit horizontally into the side of each puff, place on a rack to cool.
• When completely cooled, carefully slice each puff in half horizontally (forming a top and a bottom).
• Filling: In a large bowl; cream the drained ricotta well, until very smooth.
• Add flavorings and stir to blend well.
• Add sugar and mix well, filling should be thick (stiff) enough to hold its shape, if it is not, add more sugar.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a# 4 tip (large star tip) with the ricotta mixture.
• Squeeze the filling on to the bottom half of each puff.
• Place cherries on top of the filling (spaced about 1/2 inch apart).
• Replace tops on the puffs, and gently press down just enough to press the cherries part way into the filling.
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving.
• Sfingi may be lightly dusted with a sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving (optional).
• Note: Sfingi are best served/eaten the day they are made, because once they are filled, the puffs can soften.
• The puffs may be made a day ahead, and filled before serving.
• The filling may be made a day ahead of serving and stored (covered) in the refrigerator.

ST. JOSEPH'S DAY CREAM PUFFS (SFINGI DI SAN GIUSEPPE)

Steps:

• .Combine butter, salt and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and mix well until dough leaves sides of pan. Remove from stove and cool.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Add sugar, orange and lemon peel and mix thoroughly.
• Drop by tablespoonful on a greased baking sheet, leaving 3-inch space between.
• Bake in 400°oven 10 minutes; reduce heat to 325°and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Ricotta Filling: Cream Ricotta well; add chocolate chips, orange peel and sugar. Mix well.
• Pasticciera Cream: Place sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind and vanilla in saucepan and mix together well.
• Scald milk and pour over mixture, beating constantly with rotary beater. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with wooden spoon until mixture reaches the boiling point. Cook four minutes longer stirring constantly.
• Remove from stove and add butter and mix well.
• Pour into a bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent skin from forming over top.
• Make a slit in the side of each and fill with the Pasticciera Cream or with Ricotta Filling.

SFINGE DI SAN GIUSEPPE - ST. JOSEPH'S DAY CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Puff pastry shell: Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Cook, stirring constantly until the dough leaves the side of the pan and starts to form a ball.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the grated orange& lemon peel.
• Drop by tablespoon on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
• for another 25 minutes.
• Cream Filling: Stir the filling ingredients together until smooth.
• When the puffs have cooled, cut a small slice off the top.
• Fill puffs and replace the small slice on top of filling.
• Enjoy.