Baked Cocoa Zeppole (Italian Cream Puffs)
Category: Desserts
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 25g |
| All-purpose flour (00 flour) | 125g |
| Water | 175g |
| Butter (cut into pieces) | 70g |
| Eggs | 105g |
| Egg yolks | 15g |
| Sugar | 20g |
| Pinch of salt | 1 pinch |
| Orange zest | 1 |
| Heavy whipping cream | 250g |
| Powdered sugar | 70g |
| Vanilla bean | ½ |
| Maraschino cherries (or cherries in spirits) | 4 |
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the Cocoa Choux Pastry
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Start the choux pastry: In a saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and orange zest. Heat on low until the mixture just begins to boil. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn.
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Sift dry ingredients: While the mixture is heating, sift the all-purpose flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. This ensures the cocoa blends smoothly into the dough without clumps.
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Combine: Once the butter-water mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat. Gradually add the sifted flour-cocoa mixture to the pot. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture absorbs all the dry ingr
