Coffee Zeppolona

To make the coffee zeppolona, start with the custard. Prepare the coffee and set it aside. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water, then pour the milk and the moka coffee into a saucepan 1 and bring it almost to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl 2, then add the corn starch 3 and mix again.

Add the hot coffee-milk mixture to the yolk mixture 4 and mix well with the whisk, then pour everything back into the saucepan 5 and put it back on the heat. Stir constantly with the whisk until the cream begins to thicken 6.

When it has thickened, turn off the heat and add the gelatin, after squeezing it well 7. Mix well to incorporate it; it should completely dissolve. Pour the cream into a bowl where you have placed the chopped chocolate 8, then stir with a spatula to melt it evenly 9. Cover the cream with cling film in contact and let it cool in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, prepare the choux pastry: pour the water into a thick-bottomed saucepan 10, then add the butter, a pinch of salt 11, and a pinch of sugar 12. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil.

When the butter has melted, add the flour all at once 13 and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the mixture detaches completely from the edges and the bottom has an opaque film 14. Transfer the dough into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment 15.

Turn on the mixer at medium speed and add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully absorbed before adding the next 16. You should obtain a smooth, thick, and homogeneous mixture 17. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a 0.6-inch star tip 18.

At this point, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle with a diameter of 7 inches with a pencil 19. Use the pencil line as a guide to make 2 circles of dough with the piping bag, starting from the outside, then add a third circle on top, in between the first two 20. Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F for 45 minutes, then continue baking in a fan oven at the same temperature for another 15 minutes. After this time, check the cooking by slightly lifting the zeppolona from the baking sheet: if it feels light, it means it is cooked; otherwise, it means it is still moist inside. In that case, lower the temperature to 300°F and bake for another 5 minutes, still in fan mode. Once baked, remove the zeppolona from the oven and let it cool completely 21.

Meanwhile, take the custard from the refrigerator and soften it with a whisk 22. Pour the fresh liquid cream into a separate bowl 23 and semi-whip it with electric beaters 34.

Incorporate the semi-whipped cream into the custard in 3 batches 25, gently mixing from bottom to top with a spatula 26: you have now obtained a coffee diplomat cream. Transfer into a piping bag with a fluted tip of 0.5 inches 27.

When the zeppolona has cooled, cut it in half horizontally 28, then place the bottom half on a serving plate and fill it with the diplomat cream 29, creating waves first along the outer edge and then inside 30.

Cover with the top half and garnish with sifted coffee powder 31 and coffee beans 32. Your coffee zeppolona is ready to be served 33!