Today I share the recipe for St. Joseph’s cream puffs, fried and irresistible, prepared both the traditional way and with the Bimby. In Rome these treats are essential on March 19th, Father’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day. Pastry shops and homes prepare trays full of golden, fragrant cream puffs, ready to be enjoyed still warm.
They are soft bites of choux pastry fried, puffy and light, then filled with a creamy vanilla pastry cream. When you bite into one they are irresistible: the choux pastry remains slightly crisp outside and soft inside, while the cream makes each puff even more indulgent.
In Rome these sweets are considered the Roman variant of the Neapolitan zeppole of St. Joseph. The main difference is in shape and presentation: the zeppola is ring-shaped with cream on top and decorated with a preserved cherry, while the cream puffs are small spheres of choux pastry, fried and then filled with pastry cream.
The recipe I give you is well-tested and I explain both the Bimby and traditional preparations so you can choose your preferred method. If you prefer a lighter version you can also bake the puffs in the oven, still getting a delicious result.
Now let’s get into the kitchen and make these delightful St. Joseph’s cream puffs together — one leads to another!
Happy Father’s Day!
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Father's Day
- Energy 139.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 16.78 (g) of which sugars 9.40 (g)
- Proteins 3.41 (g)
- Fat 6.87 (g) of which saturated 4.05 (g)of which unsaturated 2.78 (g)
- Fibers 0.17 (g)
- Sodium 35.52 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 65 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 St. Joseph’s cream puffs – with and without Bimby
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 egg yolks (from medium yellow-yolked eggs)
- 6 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp cornstarch (maizena)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp cups water
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 7 tbsp butter (soft, in pieces)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch salt
You’ll need
- Pan
- Kitchen robot
- Piping bag
- Spoons
How I prepare St. Joseph’s cream puffs – with and without Bimby
Pastry cream with the Bimby
In the Bimby bowl I put the sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean and blend for 20 seconds on Turbo. Using the spatula, gather the sugar from the sides of the bowl back to the center.
I add the milk, the egg yolks and the cornstarch and cook for 7 minutes at 194°F (90°C) on speed 4.
The Bimby pastry cream is ready: I pour it immediately into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
I let the cream cool first at room temperature, then refrigerate it until ready to use.Traditional pastry cream method
In a bowl combine the sugar, egg yolks and sifted cornstarch. Whisk well until smooth and lump-free.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan and bring it almost to a boil. When it’s hot, pour it in a thin stream into the bowl with the yolks, whisking continuously.
Return everything to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. In a few minutes the cream will start to thicken.
When the pastry cream is smooth and creamy, remove it from the heat. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Let it cool first at room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to use.Bimby method – choux pastry
In the Bimby bowl put the water, salt, butter pieces and sugar and cook for 10 minutes at 212°F (100°C) on speed 3.
Add the flour all at once and mix for 20 seconds on speed 4. The dough should pull away from the bowl walls and form a ball. At this point let it cool completely in the bowl.
When the dough is cool add the eggs one at a time, running the Bimby at speed 4. After incorporating all eggs, process the dough again for 20 seconds on speed 6.
The choux pastry dough is ready to pipe or form the cream puffs.Traditional method – choux pastry
In a pan bring the water together with the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt to a boil.
Remove from heat and add the sifted flour all at once. Stir immediately with a wooden spoon until you get a compact dough.
Return the pan to low heat and dry the dough well, stirring continuously. When the dough begins to sizzle and pulls away from the pan sides it is ready.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool completely.
When cool, add the lightly beaten eggs and, with a whisk, work the mixture until smooth, homogeneous and creamy.
The choux pastry is ready to make the cream puffs.Scoop some dough and, using two spoons, form small fritters.
In a deep pan heat plenty of peanut oil. The ideal oil temperature is about 329°F (165°C). If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer you can test by dipping a wooden toothpick into the oil: if many tiny bubbles form around it, the oil is ready for frying.
Fry 2 or 3 puffs at a time, so they have room to expand during cooking. Turn them gently with a spoon so they brown evenly.
Cooking will take about 7–8 minutes, until the puffs are well risen and golden.
Once cooked, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, letting them cool completely.
When the puffs are cool, fill a piping bag with the pastry cream, pierce each puff with the tip and fill with cream.
Before serving dust with powdered sugar.
Storage and useful tips
St. Joseph’s cream puffs are best enjoyed fresh, when the fried choux pastry is still crisp and the pastry cream is fresh and fragrant. After filling, I recommend consuming them the same day.
If necessary, store them in the refrigerator for 1 day in an airtight container. Before serving let them sit a few minutes at room temperature.
A small trick for perfect puffs is not to fry too many pieces at once: 2 or 3 at a time are ideal to allow the dough to puff up properly during cooking.
If you prefer a lighter version you can bake the puffs. In that case pipe the puffs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 392°F (200°C) for about 20–25 minutes, until well risen and golden.
For a gluten-free variant you can use a gluten-free flour blend suitable for pastries, keeping the same ingredient amounts.
To give the cream an extra fresh note you can add grated lemon zest or an additional scrape of vanilla seeds to make the puffs even more aromatic.
Dust the puffs with powdered sugar only just before serving, so they stay attractive and inviting.
See you soon,
Susy 🍰
