Father's Day: Zeppole di San Giuseppe recipe

03/18/2024

Every year, on March 19, we gather to celebrate Father's Day - the perfect occasion to show affection and gratitude to our everyday superheroes.

The celebration of Father's Day can take many forms: from an affectionate letter to a gift designed especially for him, to simple but heartfelt gestures such as a hug or a kiss. However, the most precious gift is undoubtedly the quality of time spent together that allows us to create unforgettable memories and moments to share.

So how can we make this March 19, a special day for all those Dads who may not have a cape, but are still our superheroes?

If you're looking for a Father's Day idea, we've come up with just one for you!

A recipe by Cesarina Ofelia with which to prepare a typical Neapolitan traditional Father's Day dessert, the irresistible Zeppole di San Giuseppe, fritters filled with cream and sour cherries to which you only need to add the perfect ingredient: your love! You will make them even more irresistible!

The recipe for Zeppole di San Giuseppe, or Choux, as they are called in Ophelia's home, revealing the strong French influence in Southern Italy, is the one handed down from her grandmother whose name our Cesarina bears, who in turn had inherited it from her mother and grandmother. Served at important lunches, they kept their celebratory spirit in Ophelia's home as well. A feast was not one if there were no choux pastries, cheerfully and zealously prepared and brought to the table amid the cheers of the family. The memory of the tips of children's and guests' noses covered in sugar in a failed attempt to elegantly bite into a choux is still one of the sweetest memories that reminds her of her childhood home.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

A sweet recipe to celebrate together Father's Day.

DifficultyEasy

€

CostLow

Ingredients

For zeppole:
250 ml water
75 g shortening (or butter)
150 g flour
5 eggs
a pinch of salt

For orange cream with almond milk:
100 ml milk
100 ml almond milk
200 ml cream
50 ml orange juice
4 yolks
120 g sugar
45 g cornstarch
zest of one orange
a small glass of liqueur, as desired

Method

Place water with shortening and a pinch of salt in a saucepan;
Let the shortening melt and at the first boil, insert the flour all at once;
Stirring with a wooden spoon, mix the dough by lowering the flame under the saucepan until you get a kind of mixture that pulls away from the edges;
Strain the dough into a bowl and let it warm;
Once warm, add the eggs to the mixture, taking care to add them one at a time until completely absorbed;
Once you have a sort of thick cream, strain into a pastry bag and place in the refrigerator for half an hour;
At this point you can decide to fry the dough in deep oil or on a sheet of baking paper form the zeppole and bring them to a preheated oven at 180° for 25 minutes;
Importantly, once they are brought to bake let the zeppole cool in the oven, until chilled, to let all the moisture evaporate;
Once cooled, split the zeppole in half, fill with the cream and sour cherries and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

For the cream:
Heat the milk, almond milk and cream in a saucepan with the orange peels;
Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch;
Add the hot liquids and return to the heat;
Stir constantly until thickened and temperature exceeds 83°;
Remove from heat and add orange juice and, if desired, liqueur;
Let cool, cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until used.

Ofelia

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads in the world!

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