Gorgonzola Bomboloni Recipes

BEET SALAD WITH ALMOND BUTTER AND GORGONZOLA BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Grind almonds to a paste with garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne in a food processor. With motor running, add just enough oil to make a silky paste. Season with salt.
• Simmer beets in 3 inches of water in a large saucepan, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Cool in liquid, uncovered, about 30 minutes, then peel and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.
• Whisk together vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then whisk in oil. Add shallot and chives and toss with beets.
• Divide almond butter among 6 plates and top with beet salad. Put a bombolone on each salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Serve remaining bomboloni on the side.

GORGONZOLA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, Gorgonzola cheese, green onion, garlic and pepper. Warm slowly for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the sauce is nice and creamy. This sauce may also be cooked on a cool part of your grill while grilling meat.

GORGONZOLA PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, cook white wine over high heat until reduced by half. Add cream, reduce heat, and cook until reduced by one-third. Add parmesan, gorgonzola and nutmeg. Stir until cheeses melt and sauce is creamy.

GORGONZOLA BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Stir together yeast and milk in bowl of mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Mix in 3/4 cup flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbly, about 1 hour.
• Mix in egg, butter, sugar, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup flour at low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat dough until satiny and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape dough into center of bowl and dust lightly with flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper and lightly sprinkle with flour. Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 16 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, flatten 1 piece of dough and put a cheese cube in center. Pinch closed, then roll into a ball and transfer to baking sheet. Make 15 more balls, arranging 1 inch apart.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat to 350°F. Fry bomboloni, 4 at a time, turning frequently, until puffed and golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F between batches. Serve hot.

GORGONZOLA MUSHROOM BOULE

Steps:

• Put the butter and olive oil into a large skillet and set over medium heat. Slice the onion into thin slivers and add them to the melted butter. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for 15 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, salt and pepper, and raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Let the mixture simmer until the mushroom liquid has reduced by 3/4. Add the white wine and reduce again until the pan is almost dry. (The recipe can be made to this point the day before if you like. Reheat the mushroom mixture to continue with the recipe.) Add the crumbled gorgonzola and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and spoon into the hollowed out boule. Garnish with a few rosemary sprigs and serve immediately with sliced baguettes for dipping.

BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl with the cold water. Place the flour, eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the ingredients are dispersed, about 5 seconds. Add the dissolved yeast and beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed, until the dough is well combined and holds together. Add the cubed butter and mix for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the mixing bowl. If the dough is overly sticky, you may need to add about 1 tablespoon of flour. It is usually necessary to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula to encourage the dough to form a ball and come away from the side. Remove the paddle and pat the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. The dough will rise slightly.
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and punch it down to remove the air. Spread it onto a lightly floured baking sheet with your fingers and flatten the dough until it is about 3/4-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. It will slightly proof.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten it slightly with your hands. Cut the dough into circles with a 1 1/2-inch diameter cutter, keeping the cuts as close together as possible. Pat any leftover dough into a rectangle and cut more circles out of it. (At this stage, the Bombolini can be frozen for up to 1 week if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Allow the Bombolini to defrost in the refrigerator before proofing.)
• Place the Bomboloni on a parchment covered baking sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Space them 2 inches apart. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap. Allow the Bomboloni to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air.
• Heat the oil about 15 minutes in an electric fryer or in a 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat to 320 degrees F. If using a saucepan, check the temperature with a candy thermometer. Fry 5 to 7 Bomboloni at one time, any more than that and the oil temperature will dip down too much and they will not fry evenly. Fry for a total of 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Turn to evenly fry each side. As they fry, they will increase in size. Remove the Bomboloni with a large slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• While the Bomboloni are still warm, roll them in a bowl filled with granulated sugar until evenly coated. If desired, fill the Bomboloni with a jam-filled pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Use a sharp paring knife to make a small hole on the bottom of each Bomboloni. Place the tip of the pastry bag in the hole and squeeze until the Bomboloni feels heavy. It is best to fill the Bomboloni while they are still warm and the dough soft and pliable. Serve immediately.

SPICED SUGAR BOMBOLONI

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup water and the butter in a small saucepan until butter melts. Set aside to cool.
• Combine milk and yeast in a large bowl; whisk to dissolve yeast. Add eggs. Do not mix.
• Add flour, sugar, and salt in that order. Do not mix.
• Add the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
• Wrap bowl tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Place dough on floured surface and gently roll out to about 1 inch thick. Cut out circles of dough with a 2-inch round cutter. Place on a well-floured, parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Heat at least 3 1/2 inches of oil in a pot until 325 degrees. Fry bomboloni in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove, and drain on paper towels. Dredge in spiced sugar.
• To make spiced sugar: Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg in a small bowl.