Cream-filled Bomboloni

Cream-filled bomboloni are a typically Italian dessert beloved by both adults and children. They are soft, leavened, fried dough puffs filled with custard cream. Here they are, the recipe to prepare cream-filled bomboloni.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 150 ml of lukewarm milk
• 15 g of fresh baker’s yeast (or 5 g of dried baker’s yeast)
• 80 g of sugar
• 60 g of butter at room temperature
• 3 egg yolks
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• Oil for frying
• Granulated sugar for garnish

For the custard cream:

• 500 ml of milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g of sugar
• 40 g of type 00 flour (or cornstarch for a gluten-free version)
• Zest of 1 lemon or vanilla for flavoring

Preparation

1. Dough: dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining sugar, add the yolks, lemon zest, soft butter, milk with the yeast, and a pinch of salt. Work everything until a smooth and homogeneous dough is obtained. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.

2. Forming the bomboloni: after rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, gently flatten it with your hands to a thickness of about 1.5 cm and cut out circles with a round pastry cutter or a glass.

3. Second proofing: place the dough discs on a floured board, cover with a cloth and let rise again for about 30-40 minutes.

4. Frying the bomboloni: fry the bomboloni in hot but not smoking oil (175 °C) until golden brown on both sides. Drain them on paper towels and then roll them in granulated sugar.

5. Custard cream: for the custard cream, heat the milk with the lemon zest or vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until you get a light and fluffy mixture; add the flour and mix well. Once the milk is warm, remove the zest or vanilla, and slowly pour the milk over the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Transfer everything into the pan and cook over medium heat, continuing to stir, until the cream thickens.

6. Filling the bomboloni: when the cream and bomboloni are cool, use a piping bag with a long nozzle to fill the bomboloni with custard cream.

7. Serve the bomboloni fresh and enjoy this delicious piece of Italian pastry!

Curiosity

The term “bombolone” may derive from the word “bomba” (bomb), due to their round shape and their “explosive” taste impact. They are a true delight for breakfast or a snack and, especially in summer, are often sold on Italian beaches to the delight of those who love sweets even under the sun umbrella.