THE ZEPPOLA DI SAN GIUSEPPE: THE DELICIOUS SWEET TO CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY!

It is believed that fried doughnuts were typically cooked on the occasion of the Liberalia, the rite of passage of children to adulthood, celebrated by the Romans on March 17. During this occasion, it was usual for people to pay homage to the mythological figures of Bacchus and Silenus, consuming rivers of wine and ambrosia and eating doughnuts cooked in lard. Even if further in time this anniversary was abolished, another celebration was instituted just two days after the ancient Roman rite: Father's Day. For this reason, the fried zeppola consequently became the official dessert of the new festivity.
It is interesting to know that the first official recipe of the zeppola di San Giuseppe appears written in Neapolitan language in a treatise by the well-known gastronome Ippolito Cavalcanti. Also, in the past, it was customary for fryers of the area to set up banquets on March 19 and sell the famous zeppole to passers-by, as a sign of devotion to St. Joseph.

To prepare the pastry cream, put the 3 egg yolks in a pan, add the sugar and mix with a whisk. Then add the cornstarch and, while stirring constantly, add the milk, and the lemon. Now, place the pan on the stove and mix with a whisk until the cream thickens, and after put the cream in a bowl to let it cool. 

Pour the water into a saucepan, add the butter cut into small pieces, and bring to boil. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the sifted flour, all at once, stirring quickly with a ladle. At this point, put the pan back on the heat to mix all the ingredients, until you get a homogeneous mixture that will detach from the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat again and let it cool before adding the eggs, one at a time. Finally, transfer the dough into a pastry bag and make your donuts directly on squares of parchment paper, creating a circle of about 5 cm in diameter and spiraling up leaving a hole in the center.

At this point, put a high-sided pan on the stove where you have poured the oil and wait for it to be hot - the ideal temperature is around 330 °F (ca. 160-170 °C) -. Once it is ready, immerse the zeppola placed on parchment paper in the oil, using tongs to remove the paper, turn the zeppola several times to ensure a uniform browning, and in the end drain with a slotted spoon before placing on absorbent paper. When cold, you can decorate with the pastry cream and a sour cherry in syrup, then sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.  

For those wishing to experiment with a lighter version of this delicacy, it is possible to cook the donuts in a ventilated oven at a temperature of 390 °F (ca. 200 °C) for 15 minutes and then lower to 375 °F (ca. 190 °C) for 10 minutes.