MARCH-TIME FOR A ZEPPOLE FOR ST. JOSEPHS

 

They are so good this time of year. For St. Josephs.

I bought two at Longos as a weekend treat for me.

The cherry ones are the best.

#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro#zeppole#buyingazeppoleatlongos#aweekendtreatforSt.Joseph#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

ZEPPOLE FOR ST. JOSEPH AND ST. PATRICK'S COOKIE

 Okay I do not celebrate the day.

But Adolph introduced me to Zeppole and the rest is history.

And of course it comes close to St. Patrick's Day so I could celebrate both.

So March has good eating in the sweets department.

#zeppole#stpatrick'sday#bigcookie#eatingwellinMarch#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro

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

ZEPPOLE FOR ST. JOSEPH'S DAY

Yesterday was St. Joseph's Day- Joseph the husband of Mary. It is an important day in the Catholic faith.  I taught Barb about the eating of the zeppole a couple of years ago. It is a tradition on March 19 to eat it. Different bakeries may make a different version of them. Cream, eggs and a variety of fillings from cream to ricotta cheese can be used. Morello cherries are put on top. The Sicilians say it as their dish but according to research Naples lay claims to it saying it is a Neapolitan pastry created in 1840 by Don Pasquale Pinatauro-his hometown!

There is a home grown version of it- the pan fried zeppole.

Make your own dough or pizza dough can be bought  in the supermarket. Divide into little balls, then make a donut like shape.

Pan fry in vegetable oil, flip it and place the cooked item on paper towels to absorb the oil and sprinkle with some ordinary sugar. Some people like to add raisins! Best to eat them hot.  The store bought zeppole are a wonderful pastry with a cup of espresso coffee in a simple outing at a bakery with a sitting area. We stopped at St. Philips Bakery in Maple for such an adventure on a Saturday night. Although necessary on St. Joseph's Day, zeppole can be found year round at many locations. Here in Southern Ontario where many people are of Italian heritage, the 2nd and 3rd generation Italians carry on the tradition by seeking out zeppole on St. Joseph's day.

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.