Zeppole di San Giuseppe, is a traditional Neapolitan pastry that is typically eaten on Father’s Day. Discover the ancient origins of this delicious treat and make them at home with this recipe
Servings
16
Ready In:
1h 40 min
Calories:
446
Good For:
Dessert
About this Recipe
By: Silvana Lanzetta
Zeppole di San Giuseppe are the traditional Neapolitan treats that are prepared on the 19th of March, for the Italian Father’s Day.
As a child, I remember my mum waking up early on the 19th of March to prepare these delightful pastries. I can still smell the aroma of the dough cooking in the kitchen, and the anticipation of the first bite made it hard to concentrate on anything else!
Now, I have to admit, when I was younger, I wasn’t too keen on the sour cherries that topped these treats. But who could blame me? As a kid, I was all about the creamy custard filling and the fluffy choux pastry.
I remember going to school on Father’s Day, and my friends and I would exchange opinions on how many zeppole we were going to eat when we got home. The most outrageous claim came from Biagio, the skinniest of my classmates, who shouted out that he was going to eat them all!
Wines
- Castel San Lorenzo Moscato Lambiccato
- Erbaluce di Caluso Passito DOC
- Greco di Bianco Passito
- Moscato di Terracina
- Passito di Pantelleria della Sicilia
- Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Passito
- Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit
An ancient treat
Did you know that this pastry has an ancient history dating back to ancient Rome? The zeppola is actually a distant relative of the “pasta cresciuta,” or “zeppola,” a fluffy dough that is fried in abundant oil and served with a sprinkle of salt, The name zeppola comes from the Latin cippus meaning “stump.” This name describes its shape: a small wedge, fried in hot oil which swells. The grown pasta helped feed the limping lower classes, and over time, it evolved into the serpula (snake in Latin), a larger and sweeter version shaped like a coiled snake.
But why are they made on the 19th of March?
At the time of the first zeppole there was the ancient festival of Liberalia. It was celebrated on March 17th, and dedicated to the gods of wine and wheat – Silenus, Bacchus, and Apollo. People used to drink rivers of wine with honey and spices and enjoyed wheat pancakes fried to eat on the go – both sweet and savoury. And on 19th March, spring was celebrated with agricultural purification rites, which signalled the end of winter. Today, many communities in the South still celebrate Saint Joseph with big bonfires and loads of pancakes.
Nuns might have created the zeppole as we know today
The zeppole of today is a variation of these ancient treats, filled with custard and topped with sour cherries.
While zeppole recipes were scarce in gastronomic literature until the 1700s, Ippolito Cavalcanti’s “Theoretical-Practical Cuisine” in 1837 was the first written record of zeppole. However, it is widely believed that the invention of the zeppole can be attributed to the nuns of San Gregorio Armeno, Croce di Lucca, or Splendore, all in Naples. Some even attribute the pastry to Pintauro, the inventor of the sfogliatella.
Nutrition
The pastries are fried in sunflower oil, which contribute to a significant amount of fat and calories. The sour cherries in syrup and powdered sugar used for decoration also add to the calorie and sugar content. It’s important to enjoy these delicious Zeppole di San Giuseppe in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
- Proteins 6%
- Carbs 34%
- Fats 58%
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
The choux pastry
You may have heard that traditionally, zeppole are always fried in oil. But, did you know that in the last 20 years, more and more Italians have been experimenting with baking them instead? The goal is to make the zeppole a bit lighter and healthier, while still enjoying that classic taste.
Now, in this recipe, I’ve decided to use a hybrid cooking method that combines the best of both worlds. By baking the zeppole first, they become a bit more oil-proof and therefore absorb less oil during frying. Plus, we still get to enjoy that delicious taste and texture that comes from frying them.
Eggs
When it comes to making these amazing Zeppole di San Giuseppe, the size of your eggs really matters! To get the best results, it’s important to use medium-sized eggs for this recipe.
Now, if you decide to go with large eggs instead, you may need to stop at around 4 to 4 and a half eggs. And if you go with small eggs, you might need to add just over half an egg to get the right consistency.
Speaking of consistency, it’s really important that your dough comes out firm and dense. This will help give your donuts that signature coiled shape.
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Custard
So, let’s talk about custard. Specifically, the custard for our Zeppole di San Giuseppe.
Now, when it comes to this custard, we want it to be a bit thicker than your usual creme patissiere. Why, you ask? Well, it’s all about that beautiful coiled shape that we want to achieve. You see, the custard will be shaped in a way that mirrors the buns on which it rests. And if the custard is too soft, it just won’t be able to hold that shape.
So, we need to make sure that our custard is up to the task! It should be nice and dense, able to be piped like buttercream. That way, we can create those beautiful, perfectly shaped Zeppole di San Giuseppe.
Sour cherries
And finally, the cherry on top of our delicious Zeppole di San Giuseppe. Now, if you’re not in Italy, finding sour cherries in syrup might be a bit of a challenge. Trust me, I know the struggle!
But don’t worry, because there are other options. My mum used to use sour cherry jam (or marmellata di amarene, as we call it in Italy). It’s a little sweeter than the cherries in syrup, which made it more palatable for us kids. And the good news is, you can often find this jam in Italian delis, so it’s definitely worth checking out your local one.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you don’t want to use other types of berry jams. The magic of this pastry is in the contrast between the sweetness of the custard and the tartness of the cherries. So, we want to stick with that classic sour cherry flavour if at all possible.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
- Total Time: 1h 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 portions 1x
Description
Zeppole di San Giuseppe: sweet, choux pastry doughnuts filled with custard and topped with syrupy sour cherries. A traditional Italian treat to celebrate Father’s Day
Ingredients
Choux pastry:
- 250 grams of white spelt flour
- 250 grams of water
- 50 grams of butter
- 5 medium eggs
- 5 grams of salt
- 1 liter of sunflower oil for frying
Thick custard:
- 460 grams of fresh whole milk
- 6 medium yolks
- 150 grams of sugar
- 30 grams of white spelt flour
- 20 grams of potato starch
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- To decorate:
- powdered sugar
- sour cherries in syrup (1 for each zeppola)
Required:
- Pastry Bag
- large star nozzle of 8/10mm in diameter
Instructions
Make the choux pastry
- Begin by weighing the water in a large saucepan and adding in salt and butter that has been cut into small pieces. Turn the mixture around as you wait for the butter to melt completely. It’s important to note that the water must reach its boiling point of 100°C/212°F and become covered with bubbles before adding the flour, otherwise, you’ll have to start all over again. As soon as the first big bubbles emerge, add the flour all at once and immediately stir to ensure it’s well incorporated.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue to stir vigorously for a few seconds so that the flour is well absorbed. The mixture should be dense and gooey, detaching easily from the sides of the pan. Return the saucepan to the heat and stir again until you hear a rubbing sound.
- Pour the hot mixture onto a work surface and cool it down by working it with a spatula. This cooling step is essential to avoid cooking the eggs when added to the mixture. Avoid using a planetary mixer or electric whisk as this could break down the gluten mesh incorrectly. Instead, proceed by hand until the dough cools down enough to be kneaded by hand.
- Once the dough has cooled down, you can pour it into a bowl and prepare the eggs. It’s important to break each egg one at a time and beat them lightly before adding them to the dough. If you’re kneading the dough in a bowl, you can use a fork to help you.
- Add the eggs one by one, making sure that each egg is fully absorbed before adding the next one. When adding the 5th egg, do so slowly and pay attention to how the dough is behaving. If you’re using medium-sized eggs, you’ll need to add it all. The final mixture should be soft and firm, resembling a very compact custard.
Fit a piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle ranging from 8 to 10mm (Wilton 8B is ideal). Fill the piping bag with the dough and make the zeppole directly in a pan previously lined with baking paper, making two turns, one on top of the other. Note that the base circle usually has a diameter of 6 cm (about 2.5 inches)> be careful that the second layer should be more towards the center of the zeppola to create a small hole in the middle. Space the donuts 4-5 cm apart and form 4-5 for each pan.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ gas mark 6. Cook the zeppole for 10 minutes, until they are slightly inflated and have formed a light crust. After the indicated time, the donuts will detach easily.
While the zeppole are in the oven, prepare a small saucepan where you can cook one zeppola at a time. Fill it with plenty of oil, where, however, you can easily turn the donut which will double in size during cooking. Place over moderate heat to warm up, after 3-4 minutes lower the heat a little. The oil must reach a temperature of approximately 165°-170°. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test it with a piece of raw dough. When the oil is ready, it makes the dough slowly rise to the surface very slowly.
Immerse the zeppola and you will see that it will rise to the surface with just a few bubbles, but it will soon take on color and swell up. Turn the donut with the help of a fork and let it cook for about 1 minute on each side. In the meantime, monitor the oil and increase or decrease it accordingly. The zeppola is ready when it has doubled in volume and is well browned and swollen, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes.
Drain with a slotted spoon on absorbent paper and let the excess oil drip from all sides by turning it slightly. After a few minutes, transfer the donut to a new sheet of absorbent paper.
Proceed in this way until the ingredients run out, taking care to change the oil every 5-6 donuts, otherwise, the last donuts will take on a dark color and an unpleasant fried smell.
Leave the Zeppole di San Giuseppe to dry on absorbent paper for 1 hour in a cool, airy place, and fill them only when they have completely cooled down.
Make the thick custard
- To make a delicious custard cream, start by whipping egg yolks with sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes. To obtain a clear, frothy, and swollen mixture, you can help yourself with electric whisks.
- Add sifted flour and starch to the mixture and mix again with electric whisks until you have a smooth and homogeneous product that’s perfectly whipped.
- Next, pour milk into a saucepan and place it on the heat, being careful not to over boil it. As soon as you see the very first bubbles, remove it from the heat, quickly pour the mixture of yolk, sugar, and flour into the milk and put it back on moderate heat.
- Wait a few seconds and you’ll notice that the egg compound floats on the surface of the milk without sinking to the bottom, thanks to the whipped yolk and sugar incorporating enough air to remain on the surface.
- After about a minute, “craters” will appear on the surface, which are bubbles of milk that pierce the surface of the yolk, and the egg will slowly detach from the edges of the pan, giving way to the milk. Quickly stir with a hand whisk and immediately turn off the heat – the cream is ready in just a few seconds.
- You’ll feel the cream immediately thicken upon stirring. Be sure to remove it immediately from the heat to avoid cooking the mixture, which could result in an aftertaste of cooked flour. If the mixture still appears not very structured, remove it from the heat anyway, stir quickly, and place it back over very low heat for a few seconds.
- After stirring the cream for a few seconds, place it immediately in a clean bowl and cover it with cling film. Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to reduce the temperature completely.
Assemble the zeppole
- To prepare the Zeppole di San Giuseppe, take the custard out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir it to soften it up and make it more manageable.
- Fill a piping bag with a flower nozzle, preferably the same one you used to form the donuts. Starting from the center of the zeppola, pipe the custard in a circular motion around the starting point, finishing at the top. Be sure to pipe the custard generously, filling the hole in the middle of the zeppola.
- To finish, garnish each zeppola with a sour cherry in syrup in the center. This adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the dessert and makes it look beautiful as well. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
When making Zeppole di San Giuseppe, be careful to use a spout of the indicated dimensions and not one that is too small. This is because the size of the zeppola is established by the size of the spout when you make the first round as a base. The bigger the spout, the bigger the donut will be. If you use small spouts, the donuts will be small or very small, and if you try to widen the size of the base by making more turns, the choux pastry may clump up during cooking and deform the donuts.
It’s important to note that the oil used for frying Zeppole di San Giuseppe must not be as hot as the oil used for normal fried foods, which is usually around 180°C/ 350°F. This is because if the oil is too hot, the donuts will burn immediately without swelling, and therefore not cook them properly.
Once prepared, Zeppole di San Giuseppe should be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 days. This will ensure that they stay fresh and safe to eat.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: choux pastry, custard cream, St.Joseph’s pastries, sour cherries, fried dough
