March 19 is San Giuseppe, the day the Church sets aside to honor Joseph, Mary's husband. Depending upon where you happen to be in Italy the day is either important or not; San Giuseppe tends to be more venerated in the South than in the North, and is especially important in Sicily, where people frequently turn to him for assistance when thing become grim.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (500 g) honey
- 3 1/3 cups (400 g) flour
- 6 ounces (150 g) ground toasted almonds
- Candied orange peel, diced
- 2 1/4 cups (600 ml) water
Preparation:
Set a pot on the stove and pour a little more than 3/4 of the honey into it, then add the water and stir to mix well. Continue stirring over a low flame, and add the flour a little at a time, until you obtain a dough the consistency of bread dough. Remove the pot from the fire and let it cool. In the meantime, heat oil in a high-sided pot, and when it is hot, fry the sough in teaspoon-sized balls, removing them as they become golden and draining them on absorbent paper before arranging them on a serving plate. Pour the remaining honey over them, diluting it with just a little water if need be, and dot the zeppole with the candied orange peel and almonds.
