Steps for Preparing and Cooking Zeppole with Chocolate Cream:

• First, prepare the chocolate custard, a tried-and-true recipe by Montersino. This cream is also called volcanic due to its unique preparation.

  You can comfortably prepare the cream the day before and store it in the refrigerator in a bowl with plastic wrap in contact with the cream to prevent a slight crust from forming on the surface. If you make it the day before, leave it at room temperature for about half an hour and work it with electric beaters for a few minutes, so it becomes creamy and fluffy.

• Now focus on preparing the zeppole. In a saucepan, add the water, a pinch of salt, and the butter cut into cubes. Turn on the heat and melt the butter well, stirring with a wooden spoon, then bring the mixture almost to a boil.

  Turn off the heat and add all the flour at once, stirring well to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Then turn the heat back on and cook, stirring, until a film forms on the bottom of the saucepan.

  Let it cool slightly, then add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each well into the mixture before adding the next.

• Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star tip.

  AIR FRYER COOKING:

  Line the air fryer rack with parchment paper and form the zeppole, about 3 inches in diameter. First, make a circle with the dough and then make another layer of cream on top of the circle made.

  Make the other zeppole, then place the rack in the air fryer and cook at 356°F for 10 minutes and at 392°F for another 10 minutes, turning the zeppole the last 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. If you have an air fryer with double resistance, skip this step.

  Attention: Do not open the air fryer drawer between temperature changes.

  Remove the zeppole from the air fryer and cook more until all the dough is used.

  OVEN COOKING:

  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, make the zeppole, and bake them in a preheated, ventilated oven at 392°F for about 25 minutes, then slightly open the oven door and bake for another 5 minutes. This way, they will dry well inside.

• Cool the zeppole on a rack so that air circulates and they don’t become soft on the bottom.

  To fill the zeppole, you can do it in two ways:

  – Cutting the zeppola horizontally into two parts, fill the lower part with cream, then close with the upper part, and decorate with cream and a piece of chocolate.

  – Or make holes with the piping bag on the zeppola and fill it with cream, then decorate as desired with cream and a piece of chocolate.