Ingredients
For dough
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pastry flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
For filling
2 cups ricotta
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sweet almond extract, OR, 2 tablespoons liqueur to your liking such as creme de cacao
2 tablespoons chocolate chips, OR 2 tablespoons grated chocolate
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest, OR 1 tablespoon candied orange peel, cut fine
For decoration
Icing sugar
Morello cherries, halved (optional)
Grated chocolate
Equipment needed: Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased
YIELD: about 14 sfingi or zeppole
Directions
To make the dough
Combine water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan; bring to boil.
Add flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Cool.
Quickly beat in eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each one is added.
Continue beating until mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add grated orange and lemon peel; mix thoroughly.
Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet (Or one lined with parchment paper).
Bake in pre-heated oven at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Turn down oven to 350 degrees F. and bake until the center is dry, and crust is golden -- about 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn oven off and remove from oven.
Make a tiny slit in the sfingi (to get the steam out) -- if placing the ricotta filling in the center, make the slit on the side, if decorating the top, make the tiny slit on the top.
Return the puffs in the oven which is NOT on and keeping the oven door open, allow the puffs to cool in the oven (This should help dry out the centers).
To make the filling
Using an electric mixer cream ricotta well.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add almond extract or liqueur and mix well.
Fold in chocolate and orange zest or candied orange peel.
Keep in fridge.
To decorate the Sfingi
Just before serving, fill the puffs.
If placing the filling in the center, cut the sfingi in half, place about a tablespoon of the ricotta filling on the bottom half, and then re-place the top half of the pastry.
Dust with icing sugar.
If placing the filling on the top, make the top slit larger, and add the ricotta filling. Decorate with a halved Morella cherry and/or grated chocolate.
Notes
The recipe in this entry was adapted from one published in the cookbook, "The Talisman Italian Cook Book" by Ada Boni, translated and augmented by Matilde Pei (New York, Crown Publishers, 1950). The cookbook can be borrowed for free on the on-line public library, www.openlibrary.org.... P.S. An almost identical recipe for these cream puffs was published in "The Culinary Arts Institute Italian Cookbook Traditional, Recipes Tested for Today's Kitchens" (Chicago: Culinary Arts Institute, 1971) except that recipe was called "Zeppole di San Giuseppe," rather than "Sfinge di San Giuseppe." The recipe in the Culinary Arts Institute used pastry flour, rather than all-purpose flour as suggested in Ada Boni's book. I tried both versions and found pastry flour better. Unfortunately, the puffs could drop while they're cooling. Making a tiny slit in the cream puffs while they are still warm, should help the sfingi retain their shape. Many American cookbooks suggest that one does this for "cream puffs" and as sfingi (or zepppole) are more or less cream puffs, the same strategy can be used. Sfingi/zeppole/cream puffs can be decorated in many different ways -- it's all up to one's individual preferences. Comments and photo: Mary Melfi. |
