First, prepare the chocolate cream. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the cornstarch, unsweetened cocoa, and continue to mix. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring continuously. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, place it on low heat, and bring it to a boil while stirring until it reaches the desired thickness. Now add the chopped dark chocolate and stir until it is completely melted and combined. Let the cream cool covered with plastic wrap in contact.

Now prepare the zeppole. In a pot, put the water, butter, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, add the previously sifted flour, and mix. Put the mixture back on the heat and continue to stir until the mixture comes away from the sides. Let the dough cool, then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg well before adding the next. Place the choux pastry in a pastry bag with a star nozzle and on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form rings by doing two rounds of dough, leaving the center empty, ensuring they are spaced apart because they will puff up during baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F (200°C) and cook for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C) and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool.

Now prepare the chocolate chantilly cream. In a bowl, pour the well-chilled cream and whip it very well. Take the now-cold chocolate cream and stir it to make it homogeneous again, gently fold in the whipped cream from bottom to top so as not to deflate it.

Put the prepared cream in a pastry bag with a star nozzle, fill the inside of the zeppole, close them, and garnish with another tuft of cream in the center. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar, and if you want, add chocolate sprinkles on the cream tuft.

Did you like this recipe? Visit me on Facebook and become a fan of my page, you will discover many other recipes and you can ask me any clarification. I also look forward to seeing you on Instagram.