Saint Joseph’s Zeppole are traditional Italian pastries, typical of Saint Joseph’s Day, celebrated on March 19th. The Saint Joseph’s Zeppole are a true symbol of Italian pastry and represent the perfect dessert to celebrate Father’s Day!
They are particularly popular in Campania but are appreciated throughout the country.
These pastries are made with choux pastry (a light and fluffy dough) and can be filled with pastry cream and decorated with a cherry or a sour cherry.
In my area, they are also filled with a sweet cream based on ricotta and sugar similar to what is used to fill cannoli.
Usually, zeppole are fried, but there is a baked version that is very common and highly appreciated.
Below is the recipe for the cream:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Average
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring, Father's Day
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 10 eggs
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Piping Bag
- Plain Nozzle
- Baking Trays
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Pot
Steps
In a saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil.
When the butter is completely melted, remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a homogeneous mixture forms that detaches from the sides.
Put the saucepan back on low heat for a few minutes, continuing to stir to dry the dough, and thus we have created the paste.Transfer the dough into the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and let it cool slightly. Add the eggs a little at a time, mixing well until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next.
When the dough is smooth and shiny, transfer it into a piping bag with a plain nozzle.Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper. With the piping bag, form circles of dough about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, leaving space between each.
If you want to bake them, bake the zeppole in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes, until they are golden and puffed. Do not open the oven during baking.
Once cooked, let them cool on a rack.If you prefer to fry them, I recommend preparing some pieces of parchment paper on which to dress the circles of zeppole.
Heat a deep pan with oil and bring it to cooking temperature.
At this point, it will be easy to transfer the choux circles by picking them up with their piece of parchment paper and gently turning them over in the frying oil.
Make sure to cook them well and let them brown.
Drain them well on absorbent paper and fill them as desired.
Once the zeppole have cooled, cut them in half.
Fill with pastry cream and close.
Dust with powdered sugar and, if desired, garnish with a candied cherry or a sour cherry.
With this dose, you will get about 25 zeppole with a diameter of about 4 inches.
The zeppole can be stored well closed in a container or perfectly frozen and then thawed at the time of filling. It will take about 15 minutes for defrosting.
However, I recommend using and filling them immediately once cooled.
