Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Custard-filled choux rings
Zeppole di San Giuseppe: Naples's custard-filled choux rings with amarena cherries
ItalianOn 19 March, the feast of San Giuseppe and Father's Day in Italy, every bar and pastry shop in Naples sells zeppole: rings of choux pastry piped in a spiral, fried or baked, filled with thick custard and topped with a dark, syrupy amarena cherry. The fried version is the traditional one; baked zeppole are lighter and easier at home. Families buy them by the tray to share after lunch. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto squares of baking paper so you can lower them into the oil without misshaping them; the paper comes away on its own.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the choux
- 1 cup water
- 2 ⅞ oz butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oilfor frying
For the custard
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 ¼ oz cornflour
- 1 lemonzest strips
To finish
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Make the custard: heat 1 ¾ cups whole milk with 1 lemon zest, whisk 4 egg yolks, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 ¼ oz cornflour, pour in the hot milk, return to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until thick. Cover and chill.
5 minStep 2: Bring 1 cup water, 2 ⅞ oz butter and 1 pinch salt to the boil, tip in 5 ½ oz plain flour and beat over a low heat for 2 minutes, until it forms a ball. Cool for 10 minutes, then beat in 4 eggs one at a time to a glossy, pipeable paste.
12 minStep 3: Pipe 8 cm rings, two layers high, onto squares of baking paper with a large star nozzle.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil to 325°F. Lower the rings in on their paper, remove the paper, and fry 2 at a time for 6–8 minutes, turning, until puffed, deep golden and hollow. Common mistake: frying too hot; they brown but collapse when cool.
30 minStep 5: Drain and cool completely. Pipe custard in the middle of each, top with one of 10 amarena cherries in syrup and a drizzle of their syrup, and dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar. Serve the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zeppole di San Giuseppe take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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