In Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated March 19 on the Festa di San Giuseppi which honors Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Street processions are held with marchers dressed in red, special church services are conducted, elaborate displays laden with traditional foods are assembled and community spirit fills the air.
Key to the feast is food, particularly the tradition called St Joseph’s Table and its accompanying sweets, including Zeppole pastries. Thirteen dishes typically make up the Table’s fare, all of them meatless since the feast falls during Lent. The table is lush with oranges and lemons, overflowing with fava beans and fragrant with flowers. The meal is capped with bucatini pasta, usually con sarde e finnochio. Finally, the sweets are presented including the Zeppole which only are prepared at the time of this feast. Resembling a doughnut in shape, size and texture, the dough typically is piped, fried, filled with a ricotta cream and topped with a dusting of confectioner sugar.
For those who would rather forego recreating the entire Table of foods, here’s the recipe for just the Zeppole pastries. It comes from the handwritten collection of homemade Abruzzo dishes contributed by many home cooks that I received from a cousin living in the region and which I hope to eventually honor with a published cookbook. The recipe is authored by Nella from the Adriadic coastal commune of Silvi in the province of Teramo. The Festa is celebrated throughout Abruzzo and Nella's preparation exemplifies the region's unique approach to this dessert.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Ingredients for the Filling:
3 cups ricotta
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup finely diced candied orange peel
1/4 cup finely diced candied lemon peel
Ingredients for the Dough:
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon each grated orange and lemon zest
6 cups vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar and Amarena cherries in syrup if desired
Preparation
For Filling: Combine the ricotta and ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Process until creamy. Add a little Grand Marnier and process until incorporated. Scrape the ricotta mixture into a bowl and stir in the candied fruits. Store covered in the refrigerator until needed, up to 2 days.
For Dough: In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil. Add the flour all at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball around the spoon. Remove from heat and quickly beat in 1 egg at a time, beating until batter is smooth after each addition. Add the orange and lemon zest and continue beating until mixture is smooth and glossy.
In a heavy, 3-quart pot, heat the vegetable oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Carefully drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the batter into the oil, about 6 at a time. (There should be enough room in the pot for the zeppole to float freely.) Fry, turning the zeppole as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat under the pot to maintain the temperature of the oil as the zeppole fry. Remove with a skimmer and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter allowing the oil to return to 350 degrees F before continuing.
Cut the Zeppole in half, leaving it attached on one side. Spoon the filling into the Zeppole, dividing evenly. Dust the tops of the Zeppole with remaining confectioners’ sugar and one or two Amarena cherries in syrup. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
