Today, a dear friend asked me to give her the ZEPPOLE, and I fulfilled her wish.
They reminded her of her mother when she prepared them for her family.
This RECIPE is of Campania origin, and it is now prepared throughout Italy on March 19, for Father’s Day, as the Sfinci di San Giuseppe in Sicily. Still, inside, they are filled with pastry cream (crema pasticcera). The most traditional is the fried zeppole (which I am proposing in this post), but many prefer the baked version because they are lighter.
Solo-Dolce’s Zeppole Recipe
Description
Zeppole is a traditional Italian pastry, typically consumed during festive occasions such as Saint Joseph's Day or the Feast of San Giuseppe. Deep-fried dough balls are often dusted with powdered sugar and filled with pastry cream, jelly, or other sweet fillings. Here's a basic recipe to make zeppole:
Ingredients
Choux Dough
Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera)
Instructions
Choux Dough
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Pour the water into a saucepan.
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Add the butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil.
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Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
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Place the pot back on low heat and stir vigorously, slamming the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough combines and begins to come away from the sides of the pot (you will see a white film on the pot's walls).
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Add the eggs one by one to the cool mixture and mix well before adding the additional eggs, one at a time.
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Cut the parchment paper into small squares at about 10 cm on each side.
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Make the choux pastry in a sac-à-poche with a star-shaped nozzle.
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Draw a circle of dough over a square of paper almost the same size.
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In a large saucepan, heat the peanut oil and bring it to a temperature not over 165°C (329°F).
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Once you have reached the temperature of 165°C (329°F), place the donut with all the paper and immediately remove the paper with kitchen tongs.
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Let the zeppola fry for a few minutes without turning it upside down so that it keeps its shape while cooking.
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Then, turn the zeppole over and cook on the other side. When golden, remove the zeppola with a slotted spoon and place it on absorbent paper to absorb the oil.
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Pastry Cream ( Crema Pasticcera)
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For the directions, see ☛Pastry Cream.
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Assembling
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Cut the donuts in half and fill them with pastry cream.
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Close with the other half.
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Sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
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With the pastry bag, add a tuft of pastry cream.
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Place a black cherry on top of the tufted cream or chocolate drops, as I did because I didn’t have any cherries at home…
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