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Baked Cocoa Zeppole

17/11/2023

I can provide you with the recipe to prepare some delicious baked cocoa zeppole, a tempting version with a touch of chocolate. Here are the ingredients and the procedure:

Ingredients

  • 150 ml of water
  • 50 g of butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 10 g of sugar
  • 100 g of all-purpose flour (type 00)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 20 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

For the chocolate custard cream (if you wish to fill them):

  • 250 ml of milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 50 g of sugar
  • 20 g of cornstarch (cornflour)
  • 30 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Prepare the dough for the zeppole by heating water with butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. When the butter has completely melted and the mixture reaches boiling, pour all the sifted flour and cocoa powder at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until you get a homogeneous dough that detaches from the walls.
  2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the dough cool down a bit. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well until they are completely incorporated.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F) and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a star tip and form rings on the baking sheet, leaving some space between each zeppola.
  5. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the zeppole are puffy and slightly golden. Avoid opening the oven during cooking so as not to deflate the zeppole.
  6. In the meantime, if you want to fill them, prepare the chocolate custard cream by heating milk with cocoa and salt until almost boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch, then slowly pour in the hot milk, stirring. Put the mixture back on the fire and cook until the cream thickens.
  7. When the zeppole are ready, let them cool on a wire rack. If desired, you can fill them with the chocolate custard using a piping bag.
  8. Before serving, if you like, dust the zeppole with powdered sugar.

Curiosity

Zeppole are a typical dessert of the Feast of St. Joseph in Italy, during which Father’s Day is also celebrated. The baked version is a lighter choice compared to the fried one, but equally delicious. Customizing the zeppole with cocoa makes this dessert even more irresistible for chocolate lovers.