Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Crisp, golden choux pastry rings swirled with velvety vanilla custard and crowned with dark amarena cherries. A classic Neapolitan pastry honouring Saint Joseph.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Medium saucepan
- •Piping bag with star nozzle
- •Baking parchment
- •Deep frying pan
- •Wire rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 8 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, and milk together in a heavy saucepan until completely smooth without lumps.
- 2
Cook custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until thick, glossy, and gently bubbling.
- 3
Stir in vanilla extract, transfer cream to a bowl, cover surface directly with clingfilm, and chill thoroughly.
- 4
Bring water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil in a clean saucepan over medium heat.
- 5
Add flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough leaves the pan sides.
- 6
Cook dough over low heat for two minutes, stirring continuously until a thin white film forms on pan base.
- 7
Cool dough for five minutes, then beat in whole eggs one at a time until glossy and smooth.
- 8
Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe double-layered rings onto individual baking parchment squares.
- 9
Slide pastries with parchment into oil heated to 170°C, peeling away parchment paper with tongs as it loosens.
- 10
Fry rings until puffed, crisp, and deep golden brown on both sides, turning occasionally.
- 11
Drain zeppole on kitchen paper and cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack.
- 12
Pipe cold pastry cream in swirls onto each ring, top with two amarena cherries, and dust with icing sugar.
Chef's tips
Ensure the pastry cream is thoroughly chilled before piping so it holds its shape on the pastry. Keep frying oil steady at 170°C to ensure the choux cooks through to the centre without burning on the exterior.
Ingredient substitutions
- amarena cherries in syrup → good quality sour cherry preserve or wild cherry compote
- sunflower oil → baking in an oven preheated to 200°C for twenty-five minutes for a lighter finish
Storage
Store unassembled fried shells in a sealed container for up to one day, but consume filled zeppole immediately.
Reheating
Reheating assembled pastries is not recommended, though plain unfilled shells can be crisped in a 160°C oven for four minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding eggs while the cooked flour paste is scorching hot, which curdles the eggs.
- •Frying in oil that is too hot, causing the outer crust to brown before the inside expands fully.
- •Piping cold pastry cream onto warm choux rings, which causes the custard to melt and slide off.
Serving suggestions
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