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Fried Zeppole di San Giuseppe

17/11/2023

The “Zeppole di San Giuseppe” are a traditional Italian dessert, typical of March 19th, the day when Saint Joseph is celebrated and fathers are honored. They are delicious fritters made with choux pastry which can be fried or baked. Here I will provide you with the recipe for the fried version.

Ingredients

  • 250 ml of water
  • 100 g of butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon (if you like to flavor)
  • 150 g of flour
  • 4 medium eggs
  • Oil for frying

For the custard cream:

  • 500 ml of milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 50 g of flour or cornstarch
  • Lemon zest or vanilla to flavor

For the garnish:

  • Powdered sugar as needed
  • Candied cherries.

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, put water, butter, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Bring everything to a boil.
  2. When the butter has completely melted, add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps.
  3. Cook the dough for a few minutes until it comes away from the sides of the pan, then transfer it to a bowl and let it cool down.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, working the dough until it becomes smooth and homogeneous.
  5. Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan and, using two spoons, form quenelles with the dough that you will fry until golden brown.
  6. Once fried, let the zeppole drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

For the custard cream:

  1. Heat the milk with the lemon zest or vanilla without bringing it to a boil.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until they become frothy, then add the flour or cornstarch.
  3. Slowly incorporate the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
  4. Put everything back on the heat and continue to stir until the cream thickens.
  5. Let the custard cream cool down.

Assembly:

  1. Once the zeppole have cooled, fill them with the custard cream using a pastry bag.
  2. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with a candied cherry.

Curiosity

Although the origin of this tradition is linked to the city of Naples, the “Zeppole di San Giuseppe” have spread throughout Italy, taking on small local variations. In some regions, they are enriched with Chantilly cream or chocolate. The baked version, on the other hand, is lighter and has a different consistency from the fried one, but it is equally tasty!