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zeppole di San Giuseppe
Notes from Italian Wikipedia with translation on Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Originated from: Southern Italy
Occasion: The Feast Day of Saint Joseph
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Ingredients

from Italian Wikipedia
La zeppola o zeppola di San Giuseppe ? un tipico dolce dell'Italia meridionale. La Zeppola di San Giuseppe ? un dolce tipico della zona vesuviana, ma come si intuisce dal nome ha origini in San Giuseppe Vesuviano.
Vengono preparate generalmente nel periodo di San Giuseppe (19 marzo) tanto da essere un dolce tipico della festa del pap?. Gli ingredienti principali sono la farina, lo zucchero, le uova, il burro e l'olio d'oliva. Nella tradizione napoletana esistono due varianti di zeppole di San Giuseppe: fritte e al forno. In entrambi i casi le zeppole hanno forma circolare con un foro centrale dal diametro di 2 cm. circa e sono guarnite ricoprendole di crema pasticciera con sopra delle amarene sciroppate. Alcune pasticcerie provvedono anche alla farcitura interna della zeppola con tale crema, discostandosi dalla tradizione. Ultimamente si trovano zeppole ripiene di nutella e panna. Infine questo dolce viene sottoposta ad una spolverata di zucchero a velo.
Anche nel Salento le zeppole vengono preparate per la festa di San Giuseppe e in alcuni paesi dove si preparano le tradizionali "Tavole di San Giuseppe" vengono utilizzate come ultima pietanza, per dolce.
Tra le varianti preparate in casa vi sono zeppole intrecciate a forma di "elle" minuscola, fritte e passate ancora calde nello zucchero. Queste zeppole non hanno tipicamente la crema.
o Zeppole in friggitoria
A Napoli viene usato il nome zeppola anche per indicare le pastacresciute, specialit? delle friggitorie tipiche, molto diverse e salate. In questa versione, talvolta vengono aggiunti ingredienti quali alghe di mare, acciughe salate o cicenielli.
o Zippulas
Le zippulas non sono altro che le zeppole sarde, dolce tradizionale del carnevale in Sardegna.








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Machine translation of Italian Wikipedia text by Google:

The zeppole or zeppole St. Joseph is a typical sweet of southern Italy. The zeppole St. Joseph is a dessert typical of the area of Vesuvius, but as you can imagine from the name originated in San Giuseppe Vesuviano. Are generally prepared during the St. Joseph (March 19) so as to be typical of a sweet celebration of Dad. The main ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, butter and olive oil. In the Neapolitan tradition, there are two variants of zeppole di San Giuseppe: fried and baked. In both cases the zeppole have a circular shape with a central hole diameter of 2 cm. some are trimmed and covered with pastry cream on top of cherries in syrup. Some bakeries also provide the stuffing inside of zeppole with this cream, departing from tradition. Ultimately zeppole are filled with nutella and whipped cream. Finally, this cake is subjected to a sprinkling of icing sugar. Even in the Salento zeppole are prepared for the feast of St. Joseph and in some countries where they prepare the traditional " St. Joseph Tables" are used as a last meal, for dessert. Among the variants prepared at home are intertwined zeppole a form of "elle" tiny, fried and still warm in the past sugar. These are typically not zeppole cream.

o Zeppole in friggitoria

In Naples, the name is used to indicate zeppole pastacresciute the specialties of friggitorie typical, very different and salted. In this release, are sometimes added ingredients such as sea algae, anchovies or cicenielli.

o Zippulas

The zippulas are nothing more than the zeppole sardines, sweet traditional carnival in Sardinia.






Notes

The "zeppole di San Giuseppe" in the photograph were bought in high-end Italian pastry shops. As one can see the shape of the cream puffs can vary -- some cooks make them round, others oblong. Also some cream puffs contain bagel-like holes [e.g. the one on the far right in the picture] in which the filling is added, others are sliced in the middle and the filling is added to the bottom layer. Most store-bought cream puffs are topped with whipped cream. Personally, I prefer the home-made varieties (The store-bought ones are far too sweet!). Please note that in Southern Italy's small towns and villages very few people did the cream puff version of "Zeppole di San Giuseppe" (Would have cost too much!). Well-to-do households, possibly those in the larger centers such the region's capital, Campobasso, might have indulged in such delicacies but few country folk did. Those who lived in the countryside generally made sweet fritters such as "screpelle" [see Fritters] on the Feast Day of Saint Joseph. Nonetheless, most Italian-Canadians, regardless of whether they were born in small Southern Italian villages or in large cities now purchase "Zeppole di San Giuseppe" at their local pastry shops for the San Giuseppe's feast day....For a recipe that is similar to one seen in the picture see "Pastries," for an older more traditional version of the recipe that goes by the same name see "Fritters." Photo: Mary Melfi.

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