As the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp, there’s one flavor that seems to encapsulate the essence of fall – pumpkin. And what better way to celebrate this beloved seasonal ingredient than with freshly baked pumpkin donuts? These delightful treats are reminiscent of the warmth and comfort they bring to our autumn mornings, but today, we’re adding an Italian twist by exploring a cousin of the classic donut: bomboloni.
Pumpkin Bomboloni
These irresistible Italian donuts, also known as bomboloni alla crema, are cherished for their light and airy texture and their sweet, creamy fillings. This is a classic bomboloni recipe with a fall twist: pumpkin pastry cream.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pastry Cream:
- 225 g milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 65 g sugar
- 220 g pumpkin puree
- 20 g cornstarch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Bomboloni:
- 130 g milk warm
- 1 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 orange zested
- 20 g sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 285 g flour
- 1 tbsp butter room temperature
- Frying oil
- Sugar for dusting
- Cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
Pumpkin Pastry Cream
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a pot over medium heat warm the milk until you see wisps of smoke (right before the milk begins to boil). Turn off the heat.
- Temper the eggs. Pour a very small amount of milk at a time into the egg mixture, whisking in between each addition.Once all the milk has been added, return the mixture to the pot over low to medium heat. Add the pumpkin puree.
- Stir constantly until thick and creamy, until it just reaches a simmer.Pour the cream into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, with the wrap touching the top layer of the cream so a skin does not form. Let cool and then refrigerate to cool completely.
Bomboloni:
- Pour the lukewarm milk in the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer or if mixing by hand. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, orange zest, sugar, salt, flour and butter. Using the dough hook, mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough onto a flat surface and shape into a compact ball. Do not add any flour. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Alternatively, place the bowl upside down on top of the dough on the flat surface. Let it rest until doubled in size – about 1-2 hours.
- Divide the dough in 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball, keeping the dough in between your palm and the work surface to create tension on the outside of the dough.
- Using scissors, make a shallow cut all the way around each ball, about 6 or 7 times.
- Place each bomboloni on a parchment lined tray. Cover and let rest until double in size – about 1 hour.
- In a large pot, heat the oil to about 340°F (170°C). Fry the bomboloni in batches, without crowding the pot. Fry until each side is golden brown. Remove and place on a tray lined with paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
- Dip each bomboloni in the cinnamon and sugar while still warm.
- Once completely cooled, fill each with the pumpkin cream filling using a piping bag fitted with a tip that you can poke right into the donut.