St Joseph Pastries (Zeppole di San Giuseppe) Recipe

Increase the heat on the stove to low-medium. Pour the tempered egg mixture and lemon zest into the remaining warm milk, whisking continuously. Keep whisking; after just a few minutes, the mixture will thicken into a rich, custard-like cream.

When it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat.

Transfer the warm pastry cream to a clean bowl and let it cool on the counter for a few minutes, until the bowl is cool enough to handle.

Cover the surface of the cream directly with plastic wrap, pressing it down so it touches the entire surface. This prevents a skin from forming. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool completely, ideally for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

Return the pot to the heat. Add the extra large eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition until it’s fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next. The dough will look separated and greasy at first, but keep stirring; it will come back together.

By the third or fourth egg, you might find it easier to switch to a sturdy whisk to ensure each egg is thoroughly mixed in. Continue whisking until the dough reaches a consistency like a thick icing, not a bread dough.

Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or use a ziploc bag with a small corner snipped off).

Pipe the dough into circles about 4 inches in diameter, starting from the inside and working your way out. Then, pipe a second layer directly on top of the first, leaving a hole in the center of the second layer. This center hole is where the pastry cream will go later. Make sure to leave a few inches between each zeppole, as they will puff up quite a bit during baking.

Once the zeppole have cooled, retrieve the chilled crema pasticcera from the fridge. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or use a ziploc bag with a small corner snipped off).

Pipe the cream into the center hole of each zeppole. Continue piping around the center to create a circle of cream, then pipe a bit more in the middle for a slightly taller center, giving it that classic zeppole look.