Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Ingredients
- Choux pastry: water, butter, sugar, salt, flour, eggs
- Custard: milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, vanilla
- oil, for frying
- Amarena cherries and powdered sugar, to finish
Created in Naples in 1837, according to tradition, by the cook Ippolito Cavalcanti, zeppole di San Giuseppe are rings of choux pastry deep-fried until golden and hollow, then piped with a lemon-and-vanilla custard in a spiral pattern. They're traditionally served on March 19th, Italy's Father's Day, and finished with a few Amarena cherries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Method
Make the choux pastry: bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil, stir in the flour off heat until smooth, then beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy.
Pipe the dough into rings on parchment squares.
Fry the rings (parchment-side up, removing the parchment once released) in oil at around 175°C (350°F), turning frequently, until deep golden, about 8-10 minutes.
Drain well on paper towels and let cool completely.
Make the custard by heating milk with lemon zest and vanilla, whisking egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch, tempering with the hot milk, then cooking until thickened; chill.
Pipe the chilled custard over the top of each fried ring in a spiral, filling the center hole.
Top with Amarena cherries and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
