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Baked St. Joseph's Zeppole

17/11/2023

The Baked St. Joseph’s Zeppole are a typical dessert of the Italian tradition, particularly linked to Father’s Day. The baked version is a lighter alternative to the fried ones but is equally delicious. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

For the choux pastry:

  • 150 ml of water
  • 50 ml of milk
  • A pinch of salt
  • 10 g of sugar
  • 50 g of butter
  • 100 g of flour
  • 3 medium eggs

For the custard:

  • 500 ml of milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 40 g of cornstarch (cornflour)
  • Lemon zest

To garnish:

  • Powdered sugar
  • Cherries in syrup

Preparation

Choux pastry:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the water, milk, a pinch of salt, sugar, and butter to a boil.
  3. Remove from the heat and pour in all the flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough detaches from the sides of the saucepan.
  4. Let it cool down slightly and incorporate the eggs, one at a time, until a smooth and homogeneous cream is obtained.
  5. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
  6. On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, form rings of dough, leaving some space between each one.
  7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden, then slightly open the oven door and let the zeppole dry inside for another 10 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Custard:

  1. In a pan, heat the milk with the lemon zest until it almost boils.
  2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the cornstarch and mix well to avoid lumps.
  4. Remove the lemon zest from the milk and slowly pour in the yolk mixture, stirring continuously.
  5. Put the pan back on the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.
  6. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with cling film in contact and leave to cool.

To assemble the Zeppole:

  1. Cut the zeppole horizontally in half.
  2. Fill the base of the zeppole with the custard, using a piping bag.
  3. Place the top half of the zeppola on the custard.
  4. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate each zeppola with a cherry in syrup.

The St. Joseph’s Zeppole are ready to be enjoyed!

Curiosity

The St. Joseph’s Zeppola is typical of central and southern Italy and is traditionally prepared for March 19th. According to tradition, zeppole were sold in the streets by so-called “zeppolari” during Father’s Day.

Baked St. Joseph's Zeppole