Bombolini with Berry Marmellata, Lemon Curd, and Vanilla Gelato

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the dough, warm the buttermilk in a saucepan over low heat just enough to take the chill off.

   Step 2

   Using a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds and smear the scrapings on the butter. Discard the bean or use it to infuse a sauce, gelato, or sugar.

   Step 3

   Put the yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer. Pour the buttermilk over the yeast and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes to activate the yeast. Add one of the eggs and 1 cup of the flour, and use your hands to mix the ingredients into a paste. Sprinkle another 1 cup flour over the paste but don’t stir it in. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set the bowl aside in a warm place until the surface of the flour cracks, about 10 minutes. The time will vary greatly depending on the temperature and humidity.

   Step 4

   When the dough is ready, add the granulated sugar, salt, 1 1/2 cups of the remaining flour, the remaining 5 eggs, and the nutmeg to the bowl with the dough. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix the ingredients on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes to combine. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue to mix the dough for 5 minutes. Turn off the mixer, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, and mix the dough on medium-high speed until it leaves the sides of the bowl and wraps itself around the hook; it will be smooth, shiny, and slightly sticky. Reduce the mixer speed to low and, a few tablespoons at a time, add the butter with the vanilla pulp and seeds, adding more butter only after what you have added has been incorporated. After all the butter has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat the dough for 2 to 3 more minutes, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and wraps itself around the dough hook again, sprinkling 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour into the bowl, if necessary, to encourage the dough away from the sides.

   Step 5

   Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray or grease it lightly with oil and turn the dough out into the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a warm place until it doubles in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

   Step 6

   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it with flour. Dust a flat work surface with flour and gently turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough out to 3/4 inch thick, transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

   Step 7

   Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut the dough on the baking sheet, making the cuts as close as possible as you cannot reuse the scraps of dough. Pull away and discard the scraps of dough so just the rounds are left on the baking sheet. Dust the tops lightly with flour, wrap the baking sheet in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until 1 1/2 hours before you are ready to fry the bombolini, or for at least 1 hour and no more than 4 hours.

   Step 8

   To make the marmellata, place a fine-mesh strainer in a large bowl. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 cup of water in a small bowl. Combine the orange juice, berries, granulated sugar, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Using a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla beans lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds and add the scrapings and the beans to the pan with the berries. Place the berries over high heat. When they just begin to boil, pour them through the strainer set in the bowl. Remove the cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans from the strainer and return them to the saucepan you cooked the berries in. Transfer the berries to a bowl and add the juice back to the saucepan. Return the saucepan to high heat and bring the juice back to a boil. Turn off the heat and gradually add the cornstarch and water, whisking constantly. Return the heat to high and bring the juice back to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue boiling the juice until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the berries to the pot and bring the juice back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the berries in the juice, stirring occasionally, until the marmellata is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm. You can prepare the marmellata up to three days in advance. Set it aside to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it. Before serving, warm the marmellata in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary to loosen it.

   Step 9

   An hour and a half before you are ready to serve the bombolini, remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap the baking sheet, and set it aside at room temperature, until the dough rounds double in size.

   Step 10

   To fry the bombolini, fasten a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a medium saucepan and fill the saucepan 3 to 4 inches deep with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 350°F. While the oil is heating, line a baking sheet with paper towels and have a clean plate handy. Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

   Step 11

   Working in batches and taking care not to overcrowd the pan, carefully drop the bombolini into the oil in a single layer and fry until they are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning them so they brown evenly. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bombolini from the oil and transfer them to the paper towels to drain. When the bombolini are just cool enough to handle, toss them in the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar and transfer them to the plate. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds, making sure the oil is at the proper temperature before adding them to the pot.

   Step 12

   To serve, if the marmellata has cooled, warm it in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Combine the lemon curd and whipped cream and stir gently so they’re streaky but not combined. Drop a heaping 1/4 cup of the lemon cream onto each plate. Use the back of a spoon to create a crater in the center of each and spoon 3 tablespoons of marmellata next to the lemon cream. Arrange three bombolini in a triangle formation on the marmellata and place the fourth bombolini on top to create a pyramid. Nestle a 1 1/2-ounce scoop of gelato in the crater you created in the lemon cream and dust the bombolini lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

2. lemon curd

   Step 13

   Set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of water or fill the bottom of a double boiler with water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the top vessel, and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer into the smaller bowl.

   Step 14

   Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in the stainless steel bowl or the top of the double boiler and whisk to combine the ingredients and break up the egg yolks. Place over the simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally with the whisk, until the lemon curd is thick and gelatinous, about 6 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Remove the lemon curd from the heat, and drop the butter in a few tablespoons at a time, stirring so it melts into the curd. Pour the curd through the strainer into the bowl set over the ice water. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down onto the curd to prevent a skin from forming and cool to room temperature. Transfer the lemon curd to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to three days.

3. suggested wine pairing

   Step 15

   Moscato Rosa (Alto Adige)