St. Joseph’s zeppole. Fried, baked and in the air fryer.
We’re approaching Father’s Day, which anticipates Easter. At this time, all the pastry shop windows are teeming with delicacies that will accompany us throughout the spring.
Yes, even in pastry there’s a reblooming of goodness: the Cannoli, the “sospiri di Monaca”, the Lulù, and how could we not mention petit fours or the tartlets topped with seasonal fruit.
But let’s return to our Zeppole: some prefer them fried, as in the original version, while recently the baked zeppola has gained ground.
Today I will present them to you prepared both ways.
Dedicated to all dads.
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 zeppole
- Cooking methods: Oven, Frying, Air frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All seasons, Saint Joseph's Day
- Energy 488.82 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.14 (g) of which sugars 18.96 (g)
- Proteins 9.24 (g)
- Fat 33.58 (g) of which saturated 9.66 (g)of which unsaturated 20.12 (g)
- Fibers 0.69 (g)
- Sodium 115.98 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 158 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 — St. Joseph’s Zeppole
Let’s go shopping
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 1/8 cups water
- 2 3/8 cups all-purpose flour (00 flour equivalent)
- 1/3 tsp fine salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 1/4 tbsp cornstarch (Maizena)
- 1 bean vanilla bean
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% fat (or alternatively another 100 g (about 3.4 fl oz) of milk)
- 8 1/3 cups sunflower oil
- 12 sour cherries in syrup
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
St. Joseph’s Zeppole
Tools
For all preparations.
- 2 Pots
- 1 Piping bag with large star tip
- Parchment paper
- Frying pan
- Skimmer
- Paper towels
- 2 Baking sheets (large)
- Oven
- 1 Air fryer
Preparation: St. Joseph’s Zeppole
The pastry cream
First prepare the pastry cream, which must be well chilled before filling.
In a pot, heat the milk and the cream together — it gives a nicer result — but if you prefer a lighter version you can use only milk.
Turn off the heat when it begins to boil. Remove the vanilla pod and…
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and add the granulated sugar; mix to combine, then add the cornstarch and mix well.
Add a little of the warm milk to the bowl with the eggs and mix.
As soon as the mixture looks smooth and homogeneous, add the rest of the milk while whisking.
Return to the stove and thicken the mixture, always stirring with a whisk.
Then turn off the heat, transfer the cream to a bowl, cover it with clingfilm and let it cool: first at room temperature and then place it in the fridge as soon as it has stopped being hot.
While the cream cools, proceed with the choux pastry.
Pour the water into a sufficiently large pot, add the butter in pieces and a pinch of salt.
Turn the heat to low and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter has completely melted.
As soon as the mixture returns to a boil, gradually add the flour (sifting it in) while stirring more vigorously.
Continue until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot.
At this point turn off the heat.
When the mixture has cooled, add the eggs to the pot one at a time, mixing each time with a wooden spoon.
Continue until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip around 5/8–3/4 inches wide (15–20 mm).
Now you must decide whether to make the zeppole baked or fried.
Begin heating the oil to high temperature in a pot or a deep-sided pan.
While the oil is coming to temperature, prepare a sheet of parchment paper and pipe the zeppole spaced well apart; form 12 zeppole.
With the piping bag, pipe a double-ring of dough (one circle on top of another).
The ring you will create should be about 2 1/2 inches in diameter (6–7 cm).
After creating the zeppole, cut square pieces of parchment paper around each one,
Then take 1, at most 2 zeppole and carefully lower them into the hot oil.
After a few moments the paper will come off by itself; remove the paper from the oil and gently flip the zeppole.
Once golden and cooked, remove them with a skimmer.
Place them on a tray lined with paper towels and continue with the others.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (convection) or 356°F (conventional), leaving the door slightly ajar with a dish towel or a small ball of aluminum foil.
Spread parchment paper on a baking sheet and, using the piping bag, pipe a double-ring of dough (one circle on top of another).
The little ring you will create should be about 2 1/2 inches in diameter (6–7 cm).
Bake the zeppole for about 20–25 minutes.
When they are golden, remove them immediately from the oven and let them cool.
FOR ZEPPOLE IN THE AIR FRYER
Place the basket into the air fryer and cook in two stages: first at 356°F for 10 minutes, then at 392°F for another 10 minutes.
When all are cooked, dust the zeppole with powdered sugar,
Then add a dollop of pastry cream inside, decorate with the sour cherries and dust again with powdered sugar to taste.
Here are your St. Joseph’s zeppole — fried, baked, or made in the air fryer.
Storage and tips
St. Joseph’s zeppole — fried or baked. It’s preferable to eat them freshly made or within a few hours. You can store them in the refrigerator for 1 day, but freezing is not recommended.
St. Joseph’s zeppole — fried and baked
Can I make them chocolate?
Yes, here’s the chocolate pastry cream, click here.
