St Joseph's Day Pastries

Side view of St Joseph's pastries topped with cherries and filled with pastry cream.

5 from 2 votes

Indulge in the sweet tradition of St. Joseph's Day with pastries that promise a moment of bliss in every bite—flaky pastry filled with vanilla custard/pastry cream. These are a must for Italian Father's Day!

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Filling and Decorating30

Total Time56

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: pastries

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Marie Pinto Bialek

Equipment

Parchment paper I find this makes it easy to transfer the pastries to the hot oil
2 large piping bags
2 star tips To pipe the pastries and to pipe the filling (in a pinch, you can use a plastic storage bag with the corner snipped off)
deep fryer or large deep pot for frying may also bake instead of frying

Ingredients

For the Pastry Shells

1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Frying

Vegetable oil

For the Vanilla Pastry Cream (see Note 1)

4.5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1 small orange or lemon zest only (optional)
1 tbsp butter

For Topping

powdered sugar
candied cherries or sour cherry preserves (candied can be maraschino or more traditionally, Amareno cherries)

Instructions

Planning

These are best made within one hour of enjoying them. The dough and filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Plan to fry them within 4 hours and fill them within 1 hour of serving. The shells can be reheated (unfilled) for a few minutes at 350F to re-crisp.

Prepare

If you plan to fry, cut twelve to sixteen parchment paper squares (about 4 inches by 4 inches [~10 cm]) and set them aside.
Set two large piping bags inside large cups: one fitted with a large open star tip (such as Ateco 824, Ateco 826, or Wilton 1M) for the dough and the other with a large round tip (such as Ateco 808, Ateco 809, or Wilton #12) for the filling. This setup makes it easier to fill the bags later with the pastry dough and the topping/filling.
If you will fry the shells, line a large plate with a wire rack and paper towels underneath to store the zeppole after frying in the next step.

To Make the Dough

To make the dough, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cook the flour paste until it leaves a thin film on the pan, and steams heavily for about 1–2 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes so the eggs don't scramble when you add them in the next step.
Add the eggs, one at a time (see tips in Notes section), mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. I use a hand mixer for this. The dough should be smooth and shiny.

To Shape and Fry the Shells (see Note 2 if Baking Shells)

If you'd like to bake the shells, see Note 2 below.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (Ateco 828 or 829 [or Wilton 1M], which creates defined ridges that help the choux hold its shape and puff evenly.) Let the dough cool about 10 minutes before piping.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C).
Pipe small rounds of dough (~3- to 3.5-inch circles) onto the parchment-paper-lined baking squares.
Fry the pastries at about 350°F (175°C) until golden brown, turning occasionally so they cook evenly.
Carefully transfer a few zeppole into the hot oil, with the parchment paper side up. The zeppole will easily detach from the paper as they fry.
Fry the the zeppole until golden brown and puffed up, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Turn them halfway through cooking to ensure even browning.
Transfer them to a wire rack (not directly on top of paper towels) to drain so steam doesn’t soften the shells; if you’d like them extra crisp, place the fried pastries in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes to dry them further.

To Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream and Fill or Top the Pastries

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch well and then add eggs and and mix well.
Warm milk and flavorings (vanilla with or without lemon/orange zest) in a small pot until small bubbles appear on the rim.
Pour about one third of hot milk slowly into egg mixture while whisking vigorously and then return the egg mixture to the pot with the milk.
Continue heating and whisking until thickened. Remove from heat, then add the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
Transfer to a bowl or plastic container and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film from developing. Use when cooled.
You can either top each pastry with a large circle of cream or fill them and top them too. To fill, cut each pastry horizontally like a sandwich when cooled, and fill the center with pastry cream.
Top each with a small circle of pastry cream and a cherry or cherry preserves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Notes

Note 1: This recipe makes enough pastry cream to generously fill about 6 zeppole. If you'd like to fill all 12, I recommend doubling the pastry cream or folding in whipped cream to stretch it (a quick diplomat-style cream that’s actually really nice here).

Note 2 (To Bake instead of Fry):
Pipe pastries onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for 20 minutes.
Ensure they are golden brown before turning off the oven or they will deflate/fall.
Turn off the oven and let the puffs cool for 5 to 10 minutes with the oven door ajar.

Nutrition: The estimated calories per pastry decrease by ~150 if you bake instead of fry.

Total Time: Remember that total frying time will be longer since you will probably have to fry these in batches (6 minutes is the estimate for each batch, which is most likely three maximum).

Make Ahead: Dough and filling may be made one day ahead and refrigerated; Do not fill until 1 hour before serving. Do not fry until about 4 hours before serving.

Tips for crisp edges:

Add eggs gradually: You may not need the full amount. Stop once the dough becomes smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold the ridges when piped.
Dough consistency: The choux should be thick and paste-like. If the dough is too soft, the piped ridges may disappear during frying.
Dough temperature: If the dough feels very soft after piping, refrigerate the piping bag or piped pastries for 10–15 minutes to help them hold their shape.
Oil temperature: Fry at about 350°F (175°C) so the exterior sets quickly and the pastries keep their definition.
Piping tip: Use a large open star tip with deep ridges for the most defined shape.

Nutrition