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Authentic Italian Zeppole Recipe (Zeppole di San Giuseppe)

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Traditional Italian fried pastries filled with silky pastry cream and topped with cherries, enjoyed especially on Saint Joseph’s Day but delicious year-round.

Ingredients

3 medium eggs

40 g butter

70 g sugar

Grated peel of 1 lemon

250 ml water

150 g flour

1 pinch fine salt

Pastry Cream:

3 egg yolks

25 g flour

1/2 vanilla bean

75 g sugar

250 ml whole milk

To Fry & Garnish:

8 cherries in syrup

Vegetable oil for frying

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pastry cream: Heat the milk with half a vanilla bean and its seeds.
  2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, then add flour.
  3. Remove vanilla bean from milk and slowly whisk milk into the egg mixture.
  4. Return mixture to the stove and cook gently, stirring constantly, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with foil, and let cool completely.
  5. Make the dough: In a saucepan, combine butter, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat.
  6. Remove from heat and sift in flour. Return to heat and mix vigorously until dough forms a compact ball and a white film forms on the pan (about 10 minutes).
  7. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, then transfer dough to a bowl to cool.
  8. Mix in lemon zest, then add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Mix until smooth.
  9. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe discs onto parchment squares, then pipe a second ring around the edge.
  10. Heat oil to 160–170°C (350–375°F). Fry 1–2 zeppole at a time with the parchment attached; it will release on its own.
  11. Fry until golden, turning several times. Drain on paper towels.
  12. Fill a pastry bag with cooled pastry cream and pipe into the center of each zeppola.
  13. Top with a cherry in syrup and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Add orange zest for extra citrus aroma.

Use chocolate pastry cream or sweetened ricotta for alternate fillings.

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25–30 minutes for a lighter version.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://chocolatecoveredamy.com/authentic-italian-zeppole-recipe-zeppole-di-san-giuseppe/