Sfinci di San Giuseppe: 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 things become grim.

See Also

Zeppole per San Giuseppe, another treat

Ingredients

• 4 1/5 cups (500 g) flour
• 3 eggs and 3 yolks
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• An ounce (25 g) of live yeast cake
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• Olive oil for frying (or other, if you prefer)

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 50 minutes

Preparation

Warm the milk and dissolve the yeast in it. Mix it into the flour, together with the eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla, and work the ingredients together until you have a soft dough. Let it rise until bubbles form at the surface, then heat abundant oil in a high-sided pot and drop the dough into it a few tablespoons at a time, lest the oil cool overmuch. Remove the sfinci when they've turned golden and drain them on absorbent paper, then dust them with a bit more sugar and serve them.