Zeppole di San Giuseppe are usually made to honor St. Joseph on his feast day of March 19, which is when Father’s Day is celebrated in Italy. “Zeppole” can refer to many different desserts in Italy, such as fried dough with pine nuts and raisins, or fried dough with powdered sugar. It is the filling and presentation that make this recipe special and different.
You can find St. Joseph’s zeppole all over Italy on March 19. It is amazing to see how food is integral to celebrations and holidays all over the world. But in Italy, a holiday is not a holiday without its designated food, and desserts are especially prominent. Give me a dessert and I will tell you which holiday it is connected to.
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM
11/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
FOR THE ZEPPOLE
Vegetable oil, for frying
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Amarena cherries, for topping
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
For the pastry cream: Put the milk in a medium saucepan, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean in, and add the pod. Heat this over low heat until it’s steaming, and let it steep for 5 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and set it over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles pop to the surface and the mixture has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until the mixture is smooth. Remove the vanilla bean. Strain the pastry cream into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap on its surface, and refrigerate until it’s chilled, at least 4 hours.
For the zeppole: Pour 2 inches of oil into a Dutch oven, and heat it to 350 degrees.
Combine 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. Once the butter melts and the mixture is at a full boil, add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth ball and comes away from the sides of the pan, leaving a thin film, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. This next part can be done by hand with some elbow grease, or in a stand mixer: Let the dough cool for a minute, so the eggs don’t scramble; then begin to beat the eggs in one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next. Once all of the eggs are added, beat the dough until it’s thick, smooth, and glossy. Beat in the lemon zest.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough into the hot oil, and cook, turning occasionally, until they’re puffed and deep golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. (Fry in 2 batches, if needed; don’t crowd the pan.)
Once the puffs have cooled, split them in half crosswise and lay the bottoms, cut side up, on a serving platter. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the custard. Pipe custard onto the bottoms (reserving a little for the top). Lay the reserved puff halves on top. Pipe a small star on top of each with the remaining custard. Top each with an Amarena cherry. Dust with confectioners’ sugar on the platter, and serve.