Zeppole Di San Giuseppe (Baked & Fried) Pastry Cream & Ricotta

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Zeppole Di San Giuseppe (Baked & Fried) Pastry Cream & Ricotta

The Zeppole di San Giuseppe originated in Naples. These delicious choux pastry donuts are prepared on March 19 to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph and Italian Father’s Day. You can find zeppoles either fried or baked, traditionally filled with custard or ricotta.

Nowadays, there are so many different delicious fillings. In this episode, we will be baking and frying our zeppole & filling some with a vanilla pastry creamy, & some with a classic ricotta filling. Then lightly dusted with powdered sugar before serving. They taste heavenly! 😋😋😋

Their circular shape & the softness of the dough make them irresistible. Preparing them at home is simple and easy. Most of the bakery shops start making the zeppoles around Valentines Day and stop making them on Easter Sunday. However; some bakery shops make zeppoles all year round.

INGREDIENTS: Choux Pastry Dough

1 1/2 cup (375 ml) water

3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup (35 g) sugar

1/2 tsp. (3 g) salt

1 1/2 cup (180 g) A/ P flour

6 large eggs 🥚 (room temperature)

INGREDIENTS :VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

2 cups heavy cream (475 ml)

1 tbsp vanilla extract (13 grams)

6 room temp yolks

1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)

A pinch of salt

2 tbsp corn starch (15 grams)

2 tbsp softened unsalted butter (28 grams)

INGREDIENTS:RICOTTA FILLING

1 tub full fat ricotta (475 grams)

Granulated sugar ( as much as you like until your desired sweetness)

INSTRUCTIONS PASTRY CREAM

1) Start by bringing to a boil 2 cups of heavy cream with 1 tbsp of vanilla (you can add vanilla bean, vanilla paste or vanilla extract)

Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, add the yolk of 6 room temp eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar and A pinch of salt and beat for about 5 mins until pale yellow and thick.

3) Now add 2 tbsp of sifted corn starch and mix that in well.

4) Now with a ladle take a small amount of some of the warm milk and add it to the batter and mix slowly- this is called tempering ..

5) Once you have gradually added all the milk to the mixture you will then pass it through a sieve and pour back to the sauce pan to heat up over medum heat on stovetop to cook through on until it thickens-

6) Once thickened, remove from heat and sieve one last time to catch any clumps that may have formed.

7) Last step is to add 2 tbsp of softened unsalted butter and whisk in the hot mixture.

8) Now it’s time to place in a Heat proof bowl snd cover with some plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap touches the full surface of he cream as you do not want a dry skin layer to form while it chills in the rigw for at least 1 hr ….

Note: you may have to whisk vigorously when ready to use the pastry cream as once chilled it May thicken more, so simply whisk it until you reach back to a smooth texture.

INSTRUCTIONS: RICOTTA FILLING

1) Strain a tub of ricotta overnight by leavin it in a ieve over a bowl in the fridge to release any excess water! This will ensure a thicker filling.

2) Then simply whisk in some granulated sugar to taste or some powdered sugar to taste-

Refridgerste until resdy to use.

DIRECTIONS: CHOUX PASTRY DOUGH

Oven temperature: 425F (220 C) for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 375F (190 C) for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown

1) In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter 🧈. Add the water, sugar,& salt. Stir till sugar & salt has dissolved.

2) Add the flour. Using a strong wooden spoon, stir vigorously until the flour is all well incorporated and has formed a dough & it comes away from the sides of the saucepan. This might take 2-3 minutes.

3) Transfer the dough into the bowl of your stand mixer, with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about one minute to slightly cool the dough before adding the eggs.

4) Add one egg at a time, letting each egg fully absorb between each addition.Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed. The dough should be smooth and sticky.

5) Add the dough into a star tipped piping bag. Pipe approximately 4” (10cm) circular shapes onto a lined baking sheet.

6) Bake at 425F (220 C) for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F(190 C) bake additional 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely before horizontally slicing the zeppoles in half.

If you want to fry them, simply pipe on parchment paper and cut around each one so its easier to drop in the oil to fry until golden both sides maybe 1-2 mins).

Lay on wire rack or on a baking shee wih paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Let fully cool before piping and garnashing.

Lay on cooling rack and fully cool before slicing and filling with chilled pastry cream or sweetened ricotta.

Note the fried ones are more heavy and dense VS the baked ones more light and airy!

Then garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and a cherry (traditionally the amarena cherries)

This delicious dessert is celebrated during the month of March and truly is one if not my favourite desserts ever!!

Learn how to make it by watching our YouTube video here below ⬇️ 🔗

https://youtu.be/e-XMhE8FWTk?si=upSTQIpCEv7XhGwA