Sfinci di San Giuseppe

Sfinci di San Giuseppe are typical Sicilian desserts that are prepared on March 19th, on the occasion of Father’s Day, which in Italy coincides with the feast of Saint Joseph. These are soft fritters, sometimes filled with ricotta or cream. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of water
• 100 g of butter
• 150 g of flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 500 g of sheep’s milk ricotta
• 150 g of sugar
• Chocolate drops or dark chocolate chunks
• Grated zest of an orange
• Oil for frying
• Icing sugar for garnish

Preparation

1. Bring the water with the butter and a pinch of salt to a boil.
2. When the water boils, pour all the flour in at once and mix vigorously until the dough detaches from the sides of the pan.
3. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then start adding the eggs one by one, making sure that each egg is completely absorbed by the dough before adding the next.
4. Once a smooth mixture is obtained, let it rest for about 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, prepare the ricotta cream by combining the ricotta with the sugar, chocolate drops, and grated orange zest. Mix well until you have a smooth cream.
6. Heat the oil in a deep fryer and, when hot, drop spoonfuls of the dough, forming balls about 4-5 cm in diameter.
7. Fry the sfinci until they are golden, then remove them and dry them on paper towels.
8. Once cooled, cut the sfinci in half without fully separating them and stuff with the ricotta cream.
9. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Curiosity

These sfinci can be considered a Sicilian version of what in Rome are known as San Giuseppe’s cream puffs (bignè di San Giuseppe). While the cream puffs are baked in the oven, sfinci are typically fried, and this difference in cooking gives the sweets a unique texture and a distinctive taste.