Orange Scented Bomboloni With Pastry Cream And Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce Recipes

BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl with the cold water. Place the flour, eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the ingredients are dispersed, about 5 seconds. Add the dissolved yeast and beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed, until the dough is well combined and holds together. Add the cubed butter and mix for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the mixing bowl. If the dough is overly sticky, you may need to add about 1 tablespoon of flour. It is usually necessary to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula to encourage the dough to form a ball and come away from the side. Remove the paddle and pat the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. The dough will rise slightly.
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and punch it down to remove the air. Spread it onto a lightly floured baking sheet with your fingers and flatten the dough until it is about 3/4-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. It will slightly proof.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten it slightly with your hands. Cut the dough into circles with a 1 1/2-inch diameter cutter, keeping the cuts as close together as possible. Pat any leftover dough into a rectangle and cut more circles out of it. (At this stage, the Bombolini can be frozen for up to 1 week if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Allow the Bombolini to defrost in the refrigerator before proofing.)
• Place the Bomboloni on a parchment covered baking sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Space them 2 inches apart. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Allow the Bomboloni to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air.
• Heat the oil about 15 minutes in an electric fryer or in a 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat to 320 degrees F. If using a saucepan, check the temperature with a candy thermometer. Fry 5 to 7 Bomboloni at one time, any more than that and the oil temperature will dip down too much and they will not fry evenly. Fry for a total of 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Turn to evenly fry each side. As they fry, they will increase in size. Remove the Bomboloni with a large slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• While the Bomboloni are still warm, roll them in a bowl filled with granulated sugar until evenly coated. If desired, fill the Bomboloni with a jam-filled pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Use a sharp paring knife to make a small hole on the bottom of each Bomboloni. Place the tip of the pastry bag in the hole and squeeze until the Bomboloni feels heavy. It is best to fill the Bomboloni while they are still warm and the dough soft and pliable. Serve immediately.

DAVID ROCCO'S ITALIAN NUTELLA-FILLED BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast with 1/3 cup of the milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining milk. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest, and mix together.
• Add the egg and milk mixture slowly to the flour, and mix until the dough is roughly combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the yeast mixture, and continue to mix the dough for a few minutes. Add the butter to the dough a little at a time until mixed in. Sprinkle in a little flour if the dough is sticking to the bowl and mix until it no longer sticks to the sides. The dough should be very soft and not sticky. Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough into a ball, then put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof the dough until doubled in size, 3 hours.
• Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until about 3/4-inch thick. Using a round pastry cutter the size of a cup, cut the dough into disks. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Proof the dough for another 1 hour 30 minutes.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about halfway. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 340 degrees F.
• Add the pieces of dough, a few at a time, to the hot oil. When the dough is golden on one side gently turn over to fry the other side, 3 to 5 minutes. When the doughnuts are golden remove from the fryer and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Then roll the doughnuts in sugar until completely covered.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip with the chocolate hazelnut spread. Poke the tip three-quarters into the doughnut and squeeze the bag, pulling the tip out and adding as much spread as possible to the doughnut. Serve warm.