A simple dough of water and flour, fried and covered with powdered sugar, cinnamon or honey: this was the recipe for Zeppole di San Giuseppe in Campania until the end of the 1800s – prepared every March 19th for the feast of the saint, which eventually became a feast celebrating all fathers. From then on, the recipe was perfected – until it became the dessert we know and love now: made with a choux pastry dough, filled with custard and topped with a black cherry. It is said that at the start of the 20th century in Naples, the pastry chef Pintauro came up with the idea to fry his Zeppole di San Giuseppe on the sidewalk in front of his shop, perhaps to compete with the many amateur vendors that invaded the streets of the city that day. All the authors from that period wrote about the deliciousness of Pintauro’s zeppole! If you prefer a lighter dessert, don’t worry! Just know that there is also a light version of the fried Zeppole di San Giuseppe: baked Zeppole!
Traditional Zeppole
Fried Zeppole di San Giuseppe are traditional sweets from Campania. Legend has it that Joseph, on his way to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, improvised the recipe in order to nourish and support his family. So these fritters have always been the typical dessert of the feast celebrating all fathers. In Naples on March 19th, every pastry shop makes Zeppole di San Giuseppe – and it is said that in the past years, these sweets were given to everyone – family and friends – as an omen for good luck.
Fried Zeppole for St. Joseph’s Day Recipe
Ingredients for the choux pastry:
11 oz flour, 2 cups water, 5 egg yolks, 2 egg whites, 3 oz butter, 1 pinch of salt, Oil for frying
Ingredients for the custard:
5 yolks, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 2 cups fresh cream, 1 vanilla stick, Powdered sugar, Black cherry jam
How to make the choux pastry:
Use equal parts flour to water and add to a saucepan. Add the salt and butter and once the water starts to form bubbles, pour in the sifted flour and start stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough comes off the edge of the pan. Transfer dough to an oiled surface and once warm, work it with your hands, adding the egg yolks and egg whites, one at a time. Work the dough until eggs are completely absorbed and then let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a cool place. At this point, take a pastry syringe and pour the dough into it. Press it, making two overlapping spiral strips on a perforated ladle, that you will dip in boiling oil to fry.
How to make the custard:
In a small saucepan, whip the yolks with the sugar and then add a tablespoon of flour. Heat the cream with the vanilla, and once lukewarm, remove the vanilla and pour the cream over the yolk mixture, continuously stirring with a whisk (to avoid lumps forming). Continue to stir and heat until the cream has thickened. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Once cooled, pour a little cream on each zeppola and then garnish them with small pieces of black cherry jam. Finish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and serve.