Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Zeppole di San Giuseppe
A decadent Father's Day treat. Rings of light choux pastry, either fried or baked, topped with a mountain of thick pastry cream and crowned with a single amarena cherry.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 8 servings
- water
- butter
- flour
- eggs
- salt
- pastry cream (crema pasticcera, made thick)
- amarena cherries in syrup
- powdered sugar
- oil (if frying)
Equipment
- Piping bag with large star tip
- Saucepan
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- 1
Make Choux Dough (Pasta Bignè)
Boil water, butter, and salt. Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously over heat until a dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides.
- 2
Add Eggs
Let the dough cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls from a spoon in a 'V' shape.
- 3
Pipe
Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe 3-inch wide rings (2 layers high) onto squares of parchment paper.
- 4
Method A: Fry (Traditional)
Heat oil to 330°F (165°C). Drop the pastry rings (still on the parchment paper) into the oil. The paper will peel off; remove it with tongs. Fry until puffed and golden.
- 5
Method B: Bake
Bake the piped rings at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes until puffed and dry. Do not open the oven door during baking.
- 6
Cool
Let the shells cool completely. They should be hollow inside.
- 7
Prepare Cream
Have your thick, chilled pastry cream ready in a piping bag with a star tip.
- 8
Fill and Top
Pipe a small amount of cream into the center of the ring, then pipe a large, decorative swirl over the top of the ring.
- 9
The Cherry
Place a single Amarena cherry (sour cherry in syrup) into the center of the cream swirl, drizzling a tiny bit of the syrup.
- 10
Serve
Dust heavily with powdered sugar and serve the same day.
Cooking Tips
- Frying makes them more decadent and authentic, but baking yields a lighter, crunchier shell.
- Amarena cherries are sour, dark, and intensely flavored, providing the perfect counterpoint to the sweet, rich pastry cream.
Variations
- Zeppolone: One massive, cake-sized zeppola meant to be sliced.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Traditionally eaten on March 19th (St. Joseph's Day / Italian Father's Day).
Nutrition Estimate
350 calories · 7g protein · 42g carbs · 18g fat · 1g fiber per serving
