Known throughout the world, Toschi Amarena cherries are dark, sour cherries that come in a jar of thick syrup. Amarena cherries are the go-to Italian cherries for cocktails and desserts, and they are one of the main ingredients in this recipe for Zeppole di San Giuseppe Choux Pastries. (A choux pastry, or pâte à choux, is a round cream puff pastry named for it's shape, which resembles a head of cabbage.)
In this classic Italian recipe, the pastries are deep-fried in oil and topped with custard cream and cherries. It is an Italian dessert typically served on St. Joseph's Day, a.k.a. Father's Day in Italy. Make your dad's special day a little bit sweeter, or just eat them whenever you want! Browse the Supermarket Italy food blog for more easy Italian dessert recipes.
Ingredients for Pastry Dough
100g Butter
½ liter water
350g flour
pinch of salt
8 eggs
Ingredients for Custard
400g whole milk
100g cream
150g egg yolks
150g sugar
17g corn starch
2 tsp bourbon vanilla
Topping: Toschi sour cherries
Preparing the Choux Pastry
Melt the butter with water and salt in a slow cooker and add the sifted flour.
Remove from heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Put it back on the heat and cook, stirring until you get a homogeneous mixture that comes off the pan. Let it cool down and add the eggs.
On a sheet of baking paper, form donuts with the dough with a pastry bag. Heat oil in a large pan for frying and dip the sheet of baking paper with the donuts. (The baking paper will peel away.) Turn them on both sides until they are evenly browned.
Preparing the Custard
Whip the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the sifted starch and the vanilla. Bring the milk and cream to a boil and add the egg mixture to the liquid and cook for one minute.
To assemble the recipe: Place a spoonful of custard in the center of each donut and an Amarena cherry on top!