In short. Choux rings piped with a star nozzle, made for Saint Joseph’s day on 19 March — the Italian Father’s Day. Traditionally fried, and usually finished with custard and a sour cherry.
On 19 March the bakeries of Puglia sell nothing else, and the queues form early. The dough is a hot-water choux — the same principle as an éclair.
Method
1. The base. In a pot bring water to the boil with butter and a little salt. As soon as it boils, add the flour and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pot — this takes about ten minutes.
2. Cooling. Let the mixture cool.
3. The eggs. Add the egg whites and the yolks, one at a time, mixing between each.
4. Piping. Put the mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and form small rings with a hole in the centre.
5. Cooking. Fry them — or bake them, which is the lighter modern version.
Do not skip the cooling. Eggs added to a hot mixture scramble. This is the single step that decides whether zeppole rise properly.
More on the desserts page.
