GRANPA EATS ZEPPOLE FOR ST. JOSEPH'S DAY

St. Joseph's day in Italy is a wonderful celebration. Mostly it is a time to eat zeppole. A baker from Naples invented the pastry in the 19th century and it has been popular since that time.Mostly popular in Rome and the Naples area, a must for the day.

Barb bought us two over the weekend. So I ate mine on St. Patrick's Day. A saint! So it was okay.
#stjoseph'sday#zeppole#pastry#Rome#Naples#italianpastries#whattoeatonSt.Joseph'sday

A STORE BOUGHT ZEPPOLE

I promised Barb I would buy her a zeppole for St. Joseph's Day-March 19.

Fresh from Longos, they were delicious with coffee. Cream filled with a dusting of icing sugar and some cherries on top. Not a bad Italian pastry!

ZEPPOLE-CIOCIARIA STYLE

Zeppole are very popular for people from my region in Italy. They are often attributed to other areas like Naples and Sicily too. It was a post war treat that was easy to make. When it is made for St. Joseph  March 19th they often are fancier-  cream or custard filling. I like the plain, easy to cook, fun for a quick treat- the way my mother used to make them. Christmas may be another occasion to see Zeppole. However, there is no reason they can not be made year round.

INGREDIENTS

Ready made dough- like the pizza dough you can buy at Grande Cheese or you can look up a recipe to make your own dough.

Oil for frying.

Sugar.

Raisins, cinnamon and honey are optional.

DIRECTIONS

Let the dough be at room temperature.

Take little pieces and make them into doughnut balls or shapes. Some people like to add raisins to the dough.

Fry in medium-hot oil. Can be vegetable oil and even olive oil if you want. Remember olive oil should not be too hot. So usually Barb and I will fry in the vegetable oil.

Remember you can make them in a ball, little pieces or big pieces. Just make sure you fry each side until it is golden brown and the dough is cooked all the way. It is easier if the pieces are smaller.

Pat dry the oil and sprinkle some sugar on top. Or cinnamon instead of the sugar. Or both sugar and cinnamon. Some people like to dip the pieces in honey. Modern bakeries or bakers may add cream or ricotta cheese making them very fancy for special occasions. I prefer the simple way I had them as a child. Since they are so easy to make, they can be a quick treat for the grandchildren. The best way to eat them is fresh from the pan once they cool slightly-so quite warm keeping the flavour and texture.