Bomboloni are a traditional Italian fried treat very similar in character to American filled doughnuts, except that they’re filled through a hole on the top of the pastry rather than on its side (which makes them look like little bombs, or bomboloni). This dessert is bursting with bright fruit flavors and vivid Easter-egg colors. The mouth-puckering lemon curd and sweet spring rhubarb are matched with a lacey pistachio cookie to add the perfect delicate crunch.
Ingredients
- Basic Berliner dough
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Lemon Sugar
- Perfect Lemon Curd
- Pistachio Florentines
Rhubarb Chutney
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons grenadine
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb
How to Make It
- Prepare the Berliner dough as directed.
- Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer until the oil reaches 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets: one lined with paper towels, and the other dusted with flour.
- Using a floured biscuit or doughnut cutter, cut the dough into 2½- to 3-inch rounds and put them on the floured baking sheet.
- Fry the doughnuts in batches, taking care not to crowd the pot, until golden brown all over, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on the paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
- While the doughnuts still feel almost too hot to handle, pierce each one on top with a pastry tip, paring knife, or other sharp object to create a point of entry for your doughnut filling. Roll the warm doughnuts one at a time in the lemon sugar and put them on a wire rack to cool.
- The best time to fill your doughnuts is no more than 1 hour before serving. Spoon room-temperature (or slightly warmer) lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a #2 star tip. Pipe the lemon curd into the doughnut’s cavity until the pastry puffs slightly. Rhubarb Chutney
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup water, the sugar, grenadine, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low so that the mixture is simmering, and add in the rhubarb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb breaks down and melts into the liquid, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the chutney gently with a spoon to drain and release as much liquid from it as possible. Serve the chutney immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve immediately alongside a bowl of the rhubarb chutney and a plate of pistachio florentines, or store at room temperature for up to 6 hours.