I grew up in a very Italian Catholic household. We all went to Catholic school and knew all the feast days. I thought we were pretty good, but nothing prepared me for the feast that was put on for St. Joseph’s Day by the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, Lodge 174. Holy Zeppole! It was amazing.
The feast day is March 19th, but our meeting was March 24th and it didn’t matter to anyone that we were a few days late. I’m sure St. Joseph didn’t mind either.
They created a beautiful table just for the desserts we brought. The traditional sweet treat is the zeppole. It’s a fried ring filled with cream that I’m embarrassed to say I’d never had before.
It’s a Sicilian tradition, but my mom was from Naples, so she never made them. I’m certain that if she had, I’d be two sizes larger than I currently am. They’re delicious, and the members of Lodge 174 really know how to whip them up! I brought Almond Flavored Danish Pastry Puffs. They’re clearly not an Italian recipe, but they got devoured and I went home with an empty pan, so I’m including the recipe at the end of this post.
There were so many tantalizing desserts, I thought that was what we were eating that night, so I stupidly ate dinner before I came. What a dumb move because someone brought a pasta that everyone loved. The folks eating it said it had garlic, anchovies, a bit of red pepper, olive oil and possibly bread crumbs symbolizing the sawdust from St. Joseph’s workshop, plus other ingredients I’m probably missing. I didn’t have any pasta, but should have from the rave reviews it got. Maybe I can get the recipe from whichever member brought it in, so I can post it for you.
There was salad and appetizers too because this group doesn’t fool around when it comes to dinner! Being here was like being at my mom’s house, without her suspiciously eyeing me to make sure I ate enough.
But I couldn’t get over the pastry table, which I took numerous photos of, because I was in disbelief over how full it was with so many beautiful desserts. I took home a whole plate of desserts I had to force myself not to devour instantly. And I didn’t even get to try everything there!
There were three levels to the table. The top was reserved for St. Joseph and some flowers, the next had some cookies, cakes and beautiful breads, and the bottom was where the zeppoli and other pastries resided.
I am not particularly religious, but being part of this group and following these traditions does make me want to get back into celebrating like my mom and her sisters did, and so many Italians still do. There’s something beautiful about keeping up customs you know your ancestors practiced.
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Here’s the Danish Pastry Puff Recipe:
Mix together the crust ingredients, butter, flour and water, and spread it into two rectangles about 4 1/2" x 10 or 11" (or 2 large hearts) on an ungreased cookie sheet. (It'll be sticky, but with some patience, you can spread it.)
For the topping, put 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup of water in a medium size sauce pan and bring it to a boil so butter melts. Add 1 tsp. of almond extract and 1 tsp. vanilla. Then remove from heat and add 1 cup flour immediately. Beat by hand until smooth, then beat in three eggs, one at a time until smooth. Spread on top of crusts leaving about a quarter of an inch around the edges and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
Melt the butter and add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, whipping cream, and salt, to taste. Mix until very smooth. You might need a bit more whipping cream...icing should be soft enough that it drips over the edges of the puffs. Pour over the cooled puff and sprinkle with your choice of nuts. I use sliced almonds, but chopped walnuts work too.
4 Comments
Joni
April 1, 2026 at 5:18 pmSounds like a great event. I don’t see your Danish Puff Pastry recipe; the link doesn’t open for me and I would love to try it. I’ll be baking your carrot cake again this year to share with friends on Easter.
Fran Tunno
April 1, 2026 at 5:34 pmThat’s weird Joni because I just scroll down and it’s right there. You can also just go to the search box and type in Danish Pastry Puffs and it should come up. If not, let me know and I’ll email you the recipe.
JoAnn Jones
April 1, 2026 at 4:14 pmHow fun to attend the St Joseph party and taste so many great treats !
Fran Tunno
April 1, 2026 at 5:32 pmJoAnn, thank you. Bernie and Donna said they had a great time with you and your family! And thanks for all your help with Tim. I had fun with them but I think I talked too much! That’s the next blog post! I am so behind on everything! Happy Easter!