Nutella & Pistachio Bomboloni

I found this amazingly easy and delicious recipe online! It's called Bomboloni, an Italian version of donut holes. I saw a Nutella version on Pinterest, and the original recipe fills it with raspberry jam, but I decided to add pistachios because:

a) I love pistachios!

b) I had some on hand, and

c) Chocolate, hazelnuts and pistachios in a warm, crispy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside donut hole?! Yes, please!

This can be made ahead of time, and then fried when you need them.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures at each step; I was so excited!!! I will do that for my next recipe!

Nutella & Pistachio Bomboloni

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon lukewarm water

1. 1 1/2 envelopes active dry yeast (3 1/4 teaspoons)
2. 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
3. 3 cups AP flour, plus more for dusting
4. 3 Tablespoons milk
5. 6 large egg yolks
6. 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
9. 3 cups canola oil, for frying
10. 3/4 cup of Nutella
11. 1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios (shelled)
12. Confectioners' Sugar, for dusting

Hardware needed: stand mixer (or hand mixer), food processor, measuring cups/spoons, silicone spatula, bowl(s), plastic wrap, large saucepan, rack (ie. cookie rack), paper towels, rolling pin, round biscuit cutter (about 1" diameter), candy thermometer*,spider skimmer,  pastry bag +  donut tip*, and powdered sugar shaker

Directions:

1. In your stand mixer, mix the first three ingredients (water, yeast, honey) and 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of flour in the bowl with a whisk attachment (You could also whisk by hand).

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature until it becomes foamy (it usually takes about 45 min. - 1 hour).

2.  If you detached the bowl from the mixer, return it to the mixer and attach a dough hook.

Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons of flour along the sides of the bowl.

Add milk, egg yolks, 1/3 cup of sugar and kosher salt. Mix at the lowest speed until just blended.

Then add butter and go to medium speed until it looks silky and sticky, about 5 minutes (dough won't pull away from the sides of the bowl).

3.  Use an oiled silicone spatula to scrape the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover this with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The dough won't rise.

4.  Pour the 3 cups of oil into a large saucepan and heat the oil to about 360° (medium heat).

I used a candy thermometer to get the oil between 360°-375° ( It is important to keep it between those temperatures because it will brown the outside too quickly if it's too hot, and won't cook if it's too warm).

5.  Meanwhile, line the rack with plenty of paper towels.  Set up a shallow dish with about 3/4 cup of granulated sugar next to your rack.

6.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick.

Using your biscuit cutter, stamp out 35-40 rounds (cut very close together because you won't be able to reroll). I cut very close, so I got about 44 holes.

7.  Use your skimmer to place rounds gently into the oil. Fry 8 at a time until outsides are brown (about 4 minutes depending on your heat). Watch closely! I used chopsticks to flip the bomboloni after one side has browned. Drain them on the paper toweled rack and roll them in sugar. I rolled some batches while (keeping a very close eye) the other batch was frying. Finish frying the rest.

8.   Take your shelled pistachios and finely chop in a food processor. Make sure it is finely chopped. When I mixed them with Nutella and tried to pipe it into the bomboloni, the nuts kept getting stuck in the tip, and I was feeling sorry I ever added it. Still, I am glad I did. 

The pistachios should be chopped more than this. -_-;;

In a small bowl, mix your Nutella with the finely chopped pistachios.

You can use a donut tip* or I used a French Star pastry tip for your bag, and fill the bag.

Poke the tip into the bomboloni (as much as you can) and fill with the mixture, pulling out as you squeeze. Finally, lightly dust with confectioners' sugar!

Look how many there are!! I ate, er, I mean tested out a few while I was frying, and still there was two platefuls!

Oh, and I also fried the remaining dough left. I couldn't roll it again, so I just tossed them in as is. Waste not, want not, right?

Does anyone else see a heart, bird, and the & sign? :)

Honestly, the hardest part was filling the bomboloni and that was my own doing. That and the overnight wait! It was the easiest recipe and super delicious!

I imagine this recipe could be adapted for other interesting fillings.

Yes, maybe it's not the healthiest thing, but life is short! Eat what you want and exercise afterwards!




THANK YOU:
Recipe credit and thanks to Chef Kate Neumann.