A zeppola (plural zeppole, in southern dialects zeppoli) or St. Joseph's Day cake, also called sfinge, and in Rome Bignè di S. Giuseppe, is a pastry typical of Roman, Neapolitan and generally peninsular Italian cuisine.[1] They are also served in Sicily and on the island of Malta.
Commonly light-weight, deep-fried dough balls about 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, these doughnuts or fritters are usually topped with powdered sugar and may be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream or a butter-and-honey mixture. Their consistency ranges from light and puffy, to bread or pasta-like.
Zeppole are traditionally consumed on La Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph's Day), 19 March. In Rome, Naples and Sicily and Malta, these little pastries are sold on many streets and are sometimes gifts on this day. They are also common in Italian-American communities in the United States.
The custom was popularized in the early 19th century by the Neapolitan baker Pasquale Pintauro.[1]
Contents |
The terms zeppole and sfinge also are used to refer to baked cream puffs made from choux pastry.[1]
Some zeppole are filled with ricotta mixed with small pieces of chocolate, candied fruits and honey. According to Nicholas Mangone, in some parts of the U.S., they are called crispellis or mangonillis.
Zeppoli can also be savory, and consist of fried bread dough often filled with anchovy. In parts of Calabria, the anchovy or a sultana variety are consumed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. In Malta, anchovy zeppoli are traditionally consumed during the Lent fasting period.[2]
Zeppole are mentioned in Janet Evanovich's novel Four to Score as a popular treat at Point Pleasant on the Jersey shore.
Zeppoles were shown on several occasions in the episode of The Sopranos "The Ride", in the sixth season.
In an episode of Hot in Cleveland, Melanie said she had a cannoli inside a zeppole inside a stromboli, calling it a parody of a turducken.