In the Trapani area, the sfincione of San Giuseppe, on March 19, are present on all the tables

The sfincioni di San Giuseppe are large fried cream puffs, filled with a sweet ricotta cream and decorated with candied orange and chocolate chips, sometimes also with chopped pistachios.
This dessert was invented by the nuns of the Monastery of the Stigmata of San Francesco in Palermo. The nuns prepared them to give them to the poor on the feast day of the Saint.
But from simple pancakes covered in honey, local pastry chefs, over time, enriched this dessert, transforming it into a real delight with a very inviting appearance.
Useful to know : in Palermo they are called sfince to distinguish them from the Palermo sfincione which is salty.

Ingredients for 4 people

200 g Flour
300 g Water
60 g Butter
3 Egg
q.s. salt
un pizzico q.s. Bicarbonate
500 g Ricotta
80 g Orange peels
80 g Chocolate chips
150 g Chocolate chips
q.s. Fry oil

Process

Sfincioni di San Giuseppe

For the ricotta cream
Take the dry sheep's ricotta and mix it with the sugar and chocolate chips.

For the junkies
Melt the butter, 2 cu and the salt in a pan, add the water and bring to the boil.
Now little by little add the sifted flour and continue mixing for about 10 minutes until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and let it cool.
Then add one whole egg at a time until the mixture is smooth and dense.
Finally you have to add the bicarbonate of soda and continue working the dough for a few more minutes.

Now it's time to fry the sfincioni in hot oil. Pour the mixture into the oil using a spoon, turn them to make them swell and brown.
Place them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

As soon as they are very cold, fill them with the ricotta cream and decorate with candied fruit.

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