St. Joseph's Day Cream Puffs (Sfingi Di San Giuseppe)

1/2 cup butter
Dash of salt
1 cup water
1 cup cake flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Combine butter, salt and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and mix well until dough leaves sides of pan. Remove from stove and cool. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sugar, orange and lemon peel and mix thoroughly. Drop by tablespoonful onto a greased baking sheet, leaving 3-inch space between. Bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 16 puffs.

Make a slit in the side of each and fill with the Pasticciera Cream or with Ricotta Filling.

NOTE: Italian pastries are not real sweet like most American pastries, but the flavor is exceptionally good.

Ricotta Filling
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
1 tablespoon candied orange peel, cut fine
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (add more if you like)

Cream ricotta well; add chocolate chips, orange peel and sugar. Mix well. Fill Italian cream puffs with the filling.

Pasticciera Cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter

Place sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind and vanilla extract in saucepan and mix together well.

Scald milk and pour over mixture, beating constantly with rotary beater. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with wooden spoon until mixture reaches the boiling point. Cook 4 minutes longer stirring constantly. Remove from stove and add butter and mix well. Pour into bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent skin from forming over top. Fill the Italian Cream Puffs.