Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Crispy Italian choux pastry puffs filled with pastry cream and topped with a cherry—a traditional Sicilian treat for St. Joseph's Day. Light, airy, and deeply satisfying with minimal ingredients.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Unsalted butter
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 4 whole Eggs
- 1.5 cups Whole milk
- 4 whole Egg yolks
- ½ cup Sugar
- 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 quarts Vegetable oil for frying
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 12 whole Maraschino cherries
Instructions
- 1
Pour milk into a saucepan and place over medium heat.
- 2
While milk heats, whisk egg yolks with sugar in a bowl until pale.
- 3
Add flour to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
- 4
When milk steams, slowly pour it into egg mixture while whisking constantly.
- 5
Return mixture to saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thick.
- 6
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- 7
Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on surface.
- 8
Combine water and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- 9
When butter melts and mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat.
- 10
Stir in flour until a smooth ball forms.
- 11
Cool dough for 2 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each.
- 12
Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- 13
Heat oil in a deep pot to 350°F using a thermometer.
- 14
Pipe 2-inch puffs of dough into hot oil, 4 or 5 at a time.
- 15
Fry puffs until golden brown on all sides, turning occasionally.
- 16
Remove puffs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- 17
Repeat frying with remaining dough until all puffs are cooked.
- 18
Transfer pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- 19
Poke a small hole in the bottom of each puff with a wooden pick.
- 20
Pipe pastry cream into the hole until the puff feels full.
- 21
Dust puffs generously with powdered sugar.
- 22
Top each zeppola with one maraschino cherry and serve immediately.
Tools you’ll need
- Large saucepan with lid
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Piping bag
- Large round piping tip
- Small round piping tip
- Deep pot or Dutch oven
- Thermometer (candy or deep-fry type)
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Wooden pick or skewer
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