The sfincia of St. Joseph: the recipe – Italian Cuisine

The sfincia of St. Joseph: the recipe


The Sicilian dessert to celebrate Father's Day and the recipe of the historic pastry shop Costa di Palermo

Sicilian pastry is a true masterpiece of art. Traditional desserts are a triumph of colors, flavors and fragrances, behind which there is always a story in the balance between the sacred and the profane. There is no party, religious or pagan, that is not linked to a gluttony: the cannoli at Carnival, the cassata at Easter, the buccellato at Christmas and so on. The creations with ricotta are certainly the most famous. Their fame has crossed the island's borders so much that it has become the very symbol of Sicily in the world.

The sfincia of St. Joseph

In Palermo the father's Day, March 19, is celebrated with the Sfincia of St. Joseph, a huge fried puff covered with ricotta and decorated with chocolate chips, chopped pistachios, cherries and candied orange peels. Widespread throughout western Sicily, sfincia is part of the gastronomic and cultural heritage of the region. As with many other Sicilian desserts, its origin is mysterious and is lost back in time. According to some scholars the name derives from the Arabic isfanǧ (sponge), a word that the Moors used to refer to a soft fritter with an irregular shape, due to the spongy note, covered with honey or sugar. The current version is due to Poor Clare of the Monastery of the Stigmata of St. Francis, demolished in 1875 to allow the construction of the majestic Teatro Massimo. The noble nuns dedicated the cake to Saint Joseph, the Holy of the Humble. It was then the ability of the Palermo pastry chefs to enrich it with ricotta, chocolate and candied fruit. Today the sfincie can be tasted in every moment of the year, better if in winter, when the ricotta is fresh. In all the pastry shops of the city the mignon version is also very common (perhaps to alleviate the guilt feelings).

The recipe of the pastry Costa

Since 1960 the pastry Costa it is a point of reference for generations of Palermo and beyond. A long family history that begins with Antonino Costa, the founder, and continues with his son Riccardo and the very young grandchildren Antonio is Matteo, all still involved in the management of the business today. In 2018 the opening of the second store, in the heart of the historic center, a few steps from the Quattro Canti. The new patisserie is a tribute to Liberty and Belle Epoque, one of the happiest moments in the history of Palermo and Sicily. Do not miss the desserts of Costa with fresh ricotta, in particular cassata, cannolo and, of course, the sfincia, of which we report the family recipe.

Ingredients for 8 large sfincie

For the sfincia

0.25l water
0.25kg lard
5g salt
0.25 kg flour
7 eggs

For ricotta

500g fresh sheep's ricotta
150g sugar
100g dark chocolate

Method

Preparation of sfincia

Boil water and salt in lard. Then add the flour, add the eggs and mix until the dough is thick and smooth. Cook kneading dough in sunflower oil at 180g for 10-15 minutes, then cook at 220g until the dough is crisp and golden. Allow to cool and rest for a couple of hours.

Ricotta preparation

Sift the ricotta, mix it with the sugar, add the chocolate flakes.

Definition

Fill the sfincia with about 80g of ricotta. Using a spoon, cover it outside with ricotta. Finally decorate with candied cherries, candied orange peel and pistachios.

Pasticceria Costa
Via Maqueda 174 (Quattro Canti) – Tel. 091 9807927
Via D’Annunzio 15 – Tel. 091 345652

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