ZEPPOLE, ST. JOSEPH’S DAY PASTRY

St.Joseph's Pastry - Zeppole di San Giuseppe

St. Joseph’s Pastries or Zeppole di San Giusepper are traditional cream filled pastries from Campagna region.

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Course: DessertCuisine: Italian Servings: 12 pastries

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup water
• 1 ⅓ cup flour approx 170 grams
• 4 oz butter approx 115 grams
• 4 medium eggs
• ½ tsp salt

For Pasty Cream:

• 2 ⅔ cup whole milk
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup corn starchapprox 60 grams
• 2 oz butter approx 60 grams
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For Decoration:

• Confectioners Sugar
• Candied Cherriesor Compote Cherries

Tools

• Large Star Tip
• Canvas Pastry Bag

Instructions

Pastry Cream

• Beat egg yolks with sugar. Add corn starch, vanilla and ½ cup milk. Beat everything well until you get a smooth and even lump free batter .
• Heat remaining milk on a stove-top without boiling it.Turn the heat on low and slowly start pouring in egg yolk batter.
• Whisk continuously to prevent formation of lumps and cream sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue whisking until the cream starts to become pretty thick and turns into custard.
• Be careful not to overcook it otherwise you’ll get a sweet omelet.
  
  Once you see consistency of the cream is thick enough add butter, whisk until it's completely incorporated.
• Transfer the pastry cream in a large bowl, cover with a plastic wrap making it touch the cream. Let cool completely.

Zeppole

• In a medium stovetop pot combine water, butter and salt.Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add all flour at once. Using a wooden spoon mix energetically until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
  
  Continue mixing and cooking on low heat for a few minutes.
• Transfer the dough into a mixer bowl.
  
  Using a dough hook beat it for about a few minutea to let the dough cool.
  
  Once the dough is cool start beating in the eggs one at a time. Add the next egg ONLY once the previous one has been completely incorporated.
  
  NOTE: All this can be done by hand without use of the mixer.
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a large star-shaped tip.

Now you have 2 options

Baked Zeppole

• Preheat oven to 375F/ 180C
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper.Pipe the dough into 3 inch in diameter circles with about an inch and a half hole in the middle.
  
  Make sure to leave enough space between the pastries as they’ll double in size in the oven.
• Bake in preheated to 375F oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown. Don’t open the oven during the first 25 minutes. Past 25 minutes open the oven door for a few inches and let zeppole bake for another 5-10 minutes this way.

Fried Zeppole

• Preheat vegetable oil suitable for frying to 375F in a deep sautee pan.
• Cut out 3 inch squares of parchment paper or aluminum foil, brush one side of the square with vegetable oil.Pipe the dough on each square forming a circle.
• Deep squares in hot oil a few at a time. The paper will separate from the fritters in the hot oil.
• You can remove it using small tongs. Fry zeppole until lightly brown. Discard on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Fill pastries with cream

• Let pastries cool. Cut each in half.Fill a pastry bag with pastry cream.
• Pipe pastry cream on the bottom half, cover with top and pipe another star or swirl of a pastry cream on the top.
• Decorate with cherries.
  
  Dust with confectioners sugar.

Notes

Decorate with cherry. You can use simple compote cherries or candied cherries.