Zeppole di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Day Traditional Italian Pastries)

Method

1. To prepare the Zeppole di San Giuseppe, start with the preparation of the Choux Pastry: in a saucepan, combine water, butter, and a pinch of salt, and melt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then add the flour all at once and stir immediately. When the mixture forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
2. Once the dough has cooled, begin adding one egg at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue this process until all the eggs are added. Then transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle (8-10 mm in diameter) and pipe the zeppole onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making two overlapping circles to create the traditional doughnut shape.
3. Carefully drop one zeppola at a time into hot oil and fry for about 1 minute on each side. Once the zeppole are golden brown, drain them on paper towels and let them cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream.
4. For the Pastry Cream, heat milk in a saucepan with vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch, whisking well to avoid lumps. When the milk is just about to boil, slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking continuously, then transfer it back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). Once ready, transfer the cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely before assembling.
5. When both preparations have cooled, transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag with the same star tip used for the choux pastry. Fill each zeppola with a swirl of pastry cream in the center and top with a candied cherry. Your Zeppole di San Giuseppe are now ready to be served! Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!