Nonna Lydia Palermo’s Saint Joseph Sfinci and Zeppole

Italians and Italian-Americans rejoice in the weeks leading up to Saint Joseph’s Day on March 19, as bakeries begin to stock zeppole and sfinci galore. Nonna Lydia’s recipe is from her brother’s bakery in Queens, and he learned it from his Sicilian Mamma. Many would line up early in the morning on Saint Joseph’s Day in hopes of getting a warm pastry to start the day Italian-style. The classic zeppole is a piped choux dough that can be baked or fried and filled