Sfinci di San Giuseppe: the Father’s Day dessert

03/12/2026

Father’s Day is just around the corner (at least in some countries)! There’s only one week to go, and what better way to celebrate than with the flavors and aromas of homemade cooking? This year, instead of opting for a material gift, you could turn lunch or dinner into a special moment made of taste and love.
Father’s Day is that moment when we pause for a second to celebrate those special men who guide us, support us, and make us smile every day.
In Italy, this occasion falls on March 19, the feast day of Saint Joseph, and tradition has it that it is also celebrated with typical sweets.

For this occasion, we offer you the recipe of Cesarina Rosa Maria from Palermo: Sfinci di San Giuseppe, a true gem of home baking, easy to make and perfect for turning Father’s Day into a sweet and unforgettable moment, a simple yet sincere way to say “I love you” without using words.

“A simple dessert, yet full of affection and tradition, a symbol of Father’s Day in Palermo and of moments to be shared with family”.

Sfinci di San Giuseppe are fried pastries with an irregular, rustic shape, typical of the Palermitan tradition. Simple in appearance yet incredibly inviting, they are lightly golden and fragrant on the outside, while inside they are soft, light, and almost sponge-like. They are traditionally filled with a delicate sweet ricotta cream that enhances their softness.
The secret to their goodness? The dough, tender and airy, slowly puffs up during gentle frying, increasing in volume and creating a unique texture: not crispy like a fritter, but delicate.

The name of this dessert reveals the Arab presence on the island many centuries ago. The name Sfinci, in fact, comes from the Arabic term “isfanǧ,” meaning “sponge,” the most suitable word to express the softness of this dessert. Between 827 and 1091, the island was ruled by the Arabs, who brought with them culture, agricultural techniques, food traditions, and language. This long period left a lasting mark: many Sicilian words, methods of cultivating fruit and spices, and some traditional dishes have Arab roots.

Sfinci di San Giuseppe

A dessert that is fragrant on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside, filled with an irresistible cream that wins you over at the first bite

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time2h

Cooking time10m

Servings10/15

€

CostLow

Ingredients

For the dough:
250 ml water
2 g salt
200 g type 00 flour
5 eggs (250 g)
65 g lard
For the ricotta cream:
1 kg sheep’s milk ricotta
400 g granulated sugar
60 g dark chocolate chips
For decorating and frying:
20 candied cherries
20 candied orange peel strips
1 l peanut oil or lard
Powdered sugar to taste

Method

Prepare the ricotta cream by mixing the ricotta with the sugar in a stand mixer and adding the chocolate chips. Place in the refrigerator.
Pour the water, lard, and salt into a saucepan and, once it reaches a boil, add all the flour at once.
Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides and cook for 3/4 minutes.
Let it cool and add the eggs one at a time; you should obtain a smooth batter.
Heat the peanut oil to 160 degrees, then drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, no more than 3/4 at a time, turning them often until they split open and cook through on the inside.
Drain and place on a sheet of absorbent paper.
Cut them in half, fill with the ricotta cream, decorate with the cherries and orange peel, and finally dust with powdered sugar.