Frittelle alla crema
Ingredients for 28-30 Frittelle alla Crema
FOR THE DOUGH
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 4 medium eggs• 200 g water
- 70 g butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- Zest of half a lemon, grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR FRYING
1-liter of peanut oil
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM
- 4 egg yolks
- 225 g fresh cream (liquid)
- 60 g cornstarch
- 200 g sugar
- 525 g milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR DECORATING
Granulated sugar
Instructions
For the Pastry Cream
Place the egg yolks in a bowl along with the cornstarch and granulated sugar; whisk everything together until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan along with the vanilla extract. Once it reaches a near-boil, gradually pour itinto the egg yolk mixture while stirring with a whisk. Return the mixture to the heat and cook, stirring constantly,until it thickens. Once the cream is ready, turn off the heat,transfer it to a shallow, wide dish, cover it with plastic wrap directly on the cream, and let it cool to room temperature.
For the Dough
Place the water in a high-sided saucepan, add the butter(cut into cubes), and a pinch of salt.
Turn on the heat and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously to combine everything until you get a smooth, homogeneous dough.
Return the pan to low heat and continue to stir for a few minutes until a white film forms on the bottom of the pan. This step will dry out the dough and activate the starches in the flour. Transfer the dough to a bowl. Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating with an electricmixer. Add the grated lemon zest and continue mixing until you achieve a smooth but thick consistency.
Cooking
Pour the peanut oil into a high-sided pan and heat it to170°C, checking the temperature with a kitchen thermometer.
Take two teaspoons: with one, scoop about 20 g of dough from the bowl, and help drop it into the hot oil with the other spoon. Fry 5-6 frittelle at a time, gently tapping them with a slotted spoon so they puff up nicely. Continue cooking for at least 5 minutes, turning them frequently,until they are golden brown.
Remove the frittelle using a slotted spoon and place themon paper towels to remove excess oil.While they are still hot, roll them in granulated sugar so itsticks. Finally, fill the frittelle with pastry cream using a piping bag.
Le tue frittelle di Carnevale sono pronte!
Chef's Tip
Tapping the frittelle with a slotted spoon so that they are alternately in contact with the hot oil and exposed to the air helps the oil react with the watery part of the dough, allowing steam to form, which puffs up the frittelle before the crispy crust forms on the outside. This ensures that each frittella is cooked both inside and out.