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This is the recipe for traditional Zeppole di San Giuseppe.
I would have never imagined publishing a post from my self-quarantine. I am trying to remind myself (and you all) to breathe through all of the anxiety and uncertainty. It’s scary. And we’re going to get to through it together.
What I can do for you and myself is to bring a sweet note to our lives. Make them and share them, it will make you feel better soon.
How do you recognize a Neapolitan Zeppola from a Bignè di San Giuseppe? Zeppole are usually baked, the pastry cream is only on top, and there is an amarena cherry to complete this masterpiece.
The Roman Bignè is traditionally fried, filled with pastry cream, and just dusted with powder sugar. And you can find the recipe (plus a gluten-free option) of the Bignè di San Giuseppe, here.
Making Zeppole is very satisfying. Eating them even better. The base is made of choux pastry, this means that with this recipe, you can make puff pastries, éclairs, Paris-Brest, and so on.
Choux pastry is not difficult, it just requires some practice.
I have a passion for proportioned recipes, they are easier to remember. This recipe is one of them. It has the same weight of milk, water, and butter.
Check my Instagram page where you can see the stories with the right consistency of the pastry. Link Here
Ingredients:
Special Equipment: piping bag and a large star nozzle and, as usual, I recommend a kitchen scale.
Zeppole Shells:
for 8 shells of 3 inches round
Note: you can make the Zeppole’s shell in advance and keep them in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze beautifully. To get them crispy again, leave them 2-3 mins in the hot oven at 400 F.
- 120 grams whole milk (1/2 cup)
- 120 grams water (1/2 cup)
- 120 grams butter (8.5 tbsp butter)
- 145 grams bread or high-gluten flour (1 cup) (it helps to get a firmer structure and fewer cracks, but a 00 will work well), sifted
- 6 grams kosher salt (0.2 ounces, 1 level tablespoon kosher salt)? if not kosher salt (less salty) reduce to a pinch of salt
- about 4 whole large eggs 220 grams weight (you could need less or a couple more, it depends on the flour and how much moisture it absorbs) – at room temperature
- a pinch of sugar
Crema Pasticcera – Pastry Cream
this is the dose for 8 Zeppole Shells
- 460 gr (2 cups) whole milk
- 6 eggs yolks
- 150 gr (3/4 cup) sugar
- 30 gr (1/4 cup) all-purpose
- 20 gr (3 tbsp) corn starch
- vanilla 1 tsp
To decorate:
– Powder Sugar
– Amarena Cherries (one for each zeppola)
Directions:
Heat the oven at 380 F ( I use vent/Conv as my oven takes a while to be sufficiently hot, so I do this first thing).
In a medium pan, heat the milk, water, butter, add the salt, and a pinch of sugar (it gives a nice golden color). When the butter is melted, and there are tiny bubbles, add the flour all the once and stir quickly. Keep stirring vigorously until a white film will form on the bottom of the pan (around 2-3 mins), and the mixture forms a ball.
To know if it’s ready, make the spoon test. Place a spoon in the center of the ball of the dough. If it doesn’t fall, it’s ready. Otherwise, keep stirring for another couple of minutes and repeat the test.
Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool before adding eggs (5 mins).
Using a spatula, incorporate the eggs. Remember to add one egg at the time and to perfectly combine the egg before adding another one. It can be helpful to have all the eggs whisked in a bowl and slowly add them spoon by spoon until you get the right consistency.
When done, the dough will look like a very dense, smooth, and shiny pastry cream.
To see if it is done, scoop the dough up with a spoon, it should fall under its own weigh and form a v.
Or, another great test is to drag your finger along the surface of you zeppole dough. If the sides stay upright and not collapse, you got the right consistency.
Now your choux is ready for piping and baking. I recommend using a tip with many teeth as they help to avoid the large cracks.
Draw circles of the size of your Zeppole on the parchment paper, turn it (so the dough won’t touch the design), and stick the paper to the baking sheet using a bit of dough. Pipe your Zeppole following the design. If peak forms, smooth down with a wetted finger.
Be sure your oven is very hot. I bake Zeppole at 380 F for 20-30 minutes. They should be golden brown and crisp. It’s essential to do not open the oven door during this time, or they will collapse.
When done, slightly open the oven’s door to let the heat escape. Avoid quick temperature change.
How to make Crema Pasticcera – Pastry cream
Note: the pastry cream for Zeppole should be thick because it has to sit on top without dripping.
In a medium bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and a bit of milk to blend everything. Bring to boil the rest of the milk with the vanilla. When it starts bubbling, pour it over the yolks’ mixture, and whisk to incorporate everything.
Return to medium heat and cook until it thickens, always stirring, to prevent scorching.
When done, remove from the heat and pour the custard in a bowl to cool. Remember to cover the custard with cling film.
Fill the pastry bag with cold crema pasticcera, decorate the top of the Zeppola, finish with an amarena cherry and sprinkle with powder sugar.
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Buon San Giuseppe and stay safe out there!
Baci Dani
