Baked zeppole for Saint Joseph’s Day
Zeppole for Saint Joseph are the sweet symbol of Father’s Day, a ritual that brings the whole family together in the name of indulgence. Although tradition insists they are strictly fried, the baked version is the ideal variant for those looking for a lighter and more delicate pleasure without sacrificing perfect texture. A choux pastry dough (pâte à choux) baked to a golden, crispy finish, enclosing a heart of pastry cream. The finishing touch is the indispensable sour cherry in syrup, topped with a dusting of delicate powdered sugar.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Saint Joseph's Day, Father's Day
- Energy 478.69 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 46.61 (g) of which sugars 20.37 (g)
- Proteins 15.14 (g)
- Fat 26.84 (g) of which saturated 14.71 (g)of which unsaturated 11.93 (g)
- Fibers 0.92 (g)
- Sodium 118.23 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for baked zeppole for Saint Joseph’s Day
For the choux pastry
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 tbsp butter
- 4 eggs (about 210 g weighed without shell)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 1 sachet vanillin (vanilla powder)
- 1 lemon (grated zest)
- to taste sour cherries in syrup
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
- Wooden spoon
- Saucepan
- Sieve
- Piping bag
- Plain nozzle to be used for the custard
- Star tip to be used for the zeppole
Preparation of baked zeppole
Place the water, salt and the butter cut into pieces in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. If the butter hasn’t completely melted, simply stir with a wooden spoon. Now add the sifted flour all at once, without fear of lumps forming.
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and place back on the heat; cook for about 2 minutes, always stirring — this time will make the dough come away from the sides and form a ball.
Take the pan off the heat and let the dough cool until warm. Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Add them a little at a time to the dough, incorporating each addition well before adding more.
Don’t be alarmed if the dough seems to break up — keep stirring. In the end, the choux pastry should be smooth and homogeneous, similar to a fairly firm pastry cream. On a lightly buttered baking sheet create the shapes using a cookie cutter. Dip it into flour and place it on the tray to outline the forms, which should be well spaced from each other.
Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and a minimum opening of about 1 cm (approximately 3/8 in) in diameter.
Pipe the zeppole and bake in the oven: I prefer static baking at 392°F for 20 minutes; if using a fan-forced oven set it to 374°F. Check baking after 10 minutes and be careful not to let them brown too much — if they do, lower the oven temperature by about 18°F. After 20 minutes, place a wooden spoon or a small ball of aluminum foil between the oven door and the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes. In this phase they should dry out inside and color on the outside. Oven times and temperatures are indicative; always adjust according to your oven.
To simplify the work, you can prepare the choux pastry the day before.
Here you’ll find the recipe to prepare the pastry cream; once ready and cooled, place it into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Cut the zeppole in half and fill them; decorate each with a dollop of cream and a sour cherry. Before serving dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Best wishes to all dads!
