Il Cucinologo
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Fried Zeppole di San Giuseppe

17/11/2023

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

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 it)
  • 150 g of flour
  • 4 medium eggs
  • Oil for frying

For the custard:

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

For the garnish:

  • Powdered sugar to taste
  • Candied cherries.

Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, sugar and the 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 pulls away from the sides of the saucepan, then transfer it to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, working the dough until it becomes smooth and homogeneous.
  5. Heat plenty of oil in a pan and, using two spoons, form quenelles with the dough that you will fry until golden.
  6. Once the zeppole are fried, drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

For the custard:

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

Assembly:

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

Fun Facts

Despite the origin of this tradition being linked to the city of Naples, 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 texture from the fried one, but is equally delicious!