What is Zeppole?
Zeppole are an Italian pastry similar to Bomboloni and are basically fried donut balls made out of Cream Puff dough. They are very popular during St. Josephs Day in Italy which is also Italian Father’s Day. These fried pastries are traditionally served at Italian carnivals or festivals in simple paper bags, dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients for Zeppole
This Zeppole recipe uses the same choux pastry dough as Cream Puffs, Chocolate Eclairs and Churros. Once you master this easy dough, you will be making pastries like a pro
- Milk – we use whole milk, but 2% will work
- Water – we use filtered water
- Unsalted butter – If using salted, omit the extra salt.
- Sugar – you just need 1 tsp for the dough
- Salt – to balance the sweetness
- All-purpose flour – measured correctly
- Eggs – use large eggs, at room temperature
The Best Toppings for Zeppole
You can cover Zeppole in a variety of coatings. Your favorites are:
- Powdered Sugar – dust over the top of fried donuts
- Granulated Sugar – fill a bowl with sugar and roll the hot Zeppole to coat
- Cinnamon Sugar – this will make the donut holes taste like mini churros. Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl and roll Zeppole as soon as they are done frying.
How to Fry Zeppole
A Pot or Dutch Oven: You can deep fry in a regular pot, just be sure to use a clip-on thermometer to gauge temperature and a wire strainer helps with quickly straining and removing the fried zeppole.
Deep Fryer: This is our favorite method and we love our deep fryer because it automatically adjusts to the correct temperature, drains and filters the oil for you and it has a wire basket for easy transferring of the fried donuts. Also, nearly everything that needs cleaning is dishwasher-friendly.
Pro Tip: Once the Donuts are out of the oil, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any extra oil.
You can find a copy of this recipe on the next page. Enjoy!
