The zeppole with white chocolate are a uniquely flavored variant; these baked ones are, in my opinion, a valid alternative to the fried ones.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe are traditional desserts of March 19th prepared for Father’s Day. They have ancient origins; their birth is wrapped in many legends and traditions. One of these seems to date back to ancient Rome, when the Liberalia was celebrated, a Roman festival in honor of Liber Pater. A festival held on March 17th for a boy’s coming-of-age at sixteen. The transition to adulthood was celebrated with the duties and rights of a Roman citizen, eating delicious pancakes and drinking plenty of wine. Another Christian legend tells of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt and suggests that Saint Joseph, in addition to his carpentry, took up the trade of a street vendor selling sweet fritters. Although tradition dictates that zeppole be fried in plenty of oil or better yet in lard, then filled with lots of custard, I recommend trying this non-fried version, especially with white chocolate because they really make a difference!
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Father's Day, All Seasons
Ingredients for Zeppole with White Chocolate
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 pinches salt
- 7 tbsp butter
- 4 eggs (approximately 7 1/2 oz "weight without shell")
- 7 oz white chocolate
- 7 oz heavy cream
- 10 1/2 oz mascarpone
- as needed maraschino cherries
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- Piping bag
- Star nozzle
- Pan
- Wooden spoon
- 1 Microwave
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Sieve
Preparation of Zeppole with White Chocolate
In a pan, place the water, salt, and butter cut into pieces, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. If the butter seems not completely melted, just stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
Now add the flour (previously sifted) all at once. This step can be done easily without fear of lumps forming.
Mix the ingredients vigorously with a wooden spoon and put the pan back on the heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, always stirring, this way the dough will detach itself from the sides forming a ball; in fact, when you hear it sizzle, you can say it’s ready.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the dough cool; meanwhile, take the eggs and lightly beat them in a bowl, then start adding them a little at a time to the dough. Let them incorporate well; it’s best to use the electric whisk, as it helps manage the dough better. If it seems to break apart, don’t worry, just keep mixing. In the end, you should have a creamy, smooth, and homogeneous dough that should not slip off the spoon.
Now on a lightly buttered baking sheet, make our zeppole, making sure they are well spaced from each other. Bake in a static oven at 392°F for 20 minutes; if using a convection oven, 374°F will do. Check the baking after 10 minutes and make sure they do not darken too much; otherwise, lower the oven temperature by 10°F. I prefer to use static baking, so after 20 minutes, place a wooden spoon or a ball of aluminum foil between the oven and the door and continue baking for another 10 minutes. In this phase, they need to dry inside and color outside.
The baking time and oven temperature are always indicative, so always adjust with ours
To simplify the work, we can prepare our zeppole even days ahead and fill them only at the moment.
Let’s start preparing the white chocolate cream: break the chocolate into pieces, place it inside a glass bowl, and add the liquid cream. Now pass the bowl to the microwave to melt the chocolate, selecting the low power. Alternatively, a double boiler is also fine. When the chocolate has melted, let it cool, stirring occasionally. Once it has cooled, add the mascarpone to the mixture and blend the ingredients. Whip with electric whisks for a couple of minutes; in the end, the cream should have a soft and creamy consistency.
Here you can find the detailed recipe for white chocolate cream.
Pour the white chocolate cream into a piping bag, cut the zeppole in two, and fill. Finally, decorate with a tuft on top and add the maraschino cherry with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Enjoy your treat and happy holiday!
Storage of Zeppole with Chocolate
The zeppole can be prepared in advance, before filling, store them in an airtight container
Once filled, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. They are also delicious filled with milk cream.
If you like zeppole, also check out the classic recipe
