The Sfinci of San Giuseppe (Sfince) are gods fried desserts typical of Sicilian pastry shop (particularly from Palermo) who prepare for the Father’s Day, March 19th! It’s about very soft pancakes (in fact the name derives from the Latin ‘spongia’ which means ‘soft’) made with a choux dough of flour, butter and eggs very similar to Zeppole di San Giuseppe. First cooked in boiling oil, then filled with ricotta cream And chocolate chips finally decorated with grains of pistachios, cherry and zest of candied orange. An immense delicacy, you’ll be amazed at how much it is simple to prepare at home with all my step by step advice!
Although there are different regional variations; what they propose is the Original recipe of the Sfinci of San Giuseppe taken from my manual traditional Sicilian sweets confirmed by my Palermo native friend! In short, one guarantee of success. THE secrets for a perfect result there are 2. First of all get the right ingredients: sheep’s ricottaperfectly drained for a stuffed dense and not humid. For candied fruit, prefer fragrant and consistent pastry ones, even better if home-made. Secondly, when you bake, make a slow and constant fryingso that the Sfince yes colors gradually golden and become alveolated inside and spongy! Just like Bignè di San Giuseppe, I find them perfect not only for serve and give as gifts for our dads, but also as a Sunday dessert for the whole family spring. Try them and let me know if they aren’t amazing!
Discover also:
Sicilian Cannoli (the true original recipe, explained step by step)
Sfinci recipes from San Giuseppe
| Preparation | Cooking | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Cost | Kitchen | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | Italian | 433 Kcal |
Ingredients
| Quantity for 15 pieces |
|---|
|
dough :
filling:
decoration:
|
How to make St. Joseph’s Suffici
First of all, drain the ricotta by squeezing it very well in a cloth and sieve it with a sieve to eliminate any lumps, work it with the sugar and leave it aside in the refrigerator so that it mixes perfectly:
Then dedicate yourself to the dough of the sfinci: in a saucepan where you will make the dough, weigh the water, add the salt and the butter into small pieces and. place on the heat, waiting for the butter to melt.
Wait until the mixture fills with bubbles (a sign that the boiling has started) and add the flour in one go and stir immediately.
Then remove from the heat and continue stirring vigorously until you find a dense and gummy mixture. Then place the saucepan on the heat and stir for a few more seconds, until you hear rubbing under the pan:
At this point, pour the hot dough onto a work surface and cool it by working it with a spatula and only when it has cooled (be careful not before) can you add the eggs one at a time, adding the second only when the first is perfectly mixed.
The final dough must be soft and firm:
How to fry swollen, golden and dry dumplings!
First of all, use a rather large saucepan with high edges, the swells will swell and need space.
Then melt the lard (or heat the oil) at a temperature of 165 – 170°, over medium heat, the oil must be hot but not excessive, otherwise it will brown too much.
If you don’t have a thermometer, every now and then move the saucepan away from the heat to lower the temperature, this trick will help you have golden and not burnt dumplings!
Furthermore, before starting cooking, test with a small piece first, if it floats and fills with bubbles it is ready, otherwise, if it sinks, it means that the oil is still cold.
Finally, with the help of a spoon, take the dough and immerse it in boiling oil and fry only 1 – 2 puffs at a time so that they have the necessary space to swell.
Use two forks to turn them often and cook in this world for 6 – 8 minutes, occasionally moving the saucepan away from the heat.
When they are nice and swollen, golden and light, drain them onto a serving plate previously lined with kitchen paper, without crushing them.
Complete the cooking in this way for all the pancakes, then transfer them to a plate without kitchen paper, without placing them on top!
Stuff and decorate the San Giuseppe sfinci
When all the sfinci have cooled, add the ricotta cream, add the chocolate chips and mix well:
then add a generous spoonful of filling on each filling.
Finally decorate with a teaspoon of chopped pistachios, a candied cherry and a slice of candied orange peel.
Here are yours ready Sfinci di San Giuseppe ready to serve
Sfinci variant of baked San Giuseppe
For those who don’t want to fry, there is a solution, you can also make these like Zeppole di San Giuseppe in the oven, the dough remains the same as does the procedure.
place the spoonfuls on a sheet of baking paper well spaced at least 10 – 12 cm apart and cook at 200 for the first 10 minutes, then lower to 180° and complete cooking for another 20 minutes. Finally stuff as indicated.
storage
They can be kept for 2 days, but be aware that they should be enjoyed fresh immediately, like all fried desserts!
Don’t miss the entire collection of sweets for Father’s Day
