This recipe is worth all the effort. Take it from me Saverio Ricotta

These are not really Sicilian sfingi but close. We do call these zeppole. Sfingi are large fist full pieces of fried pastry with ricotta filling in the hollow middle. At least that the way they are in Palermo.

Actually, what you are making is cream puffs. Sicilian sfingi are fried dough.Whatever version you make, they are delicious just because they remind you of Nonna.

I have a question about the custard cream. Butter is not listed as an ingredient, but in the recipe it says to add butter. How much butter?

Loved these, yes, they were more like a cream puff, but for a beginner on making these pastries, they were pretty close! And they did not need to be fried, which is a plus for me. Made extra filling, just to eat by itself!!

Step 17, how much butter? I'm from Ribera,Sicily, and these are in fact Zeppoli, sfinci is a fried dough, we make it without ricotta or patatoes, it's a softer dough than pizza dough,that is deep fried, at least that's how my mom and dad made them, we used to dip them in granulated suger, used to look forward to my parents making them every easter, I now make both, Zeppoli and sfinci. Making these tomorrow :)

I'm a first generation Italian who'se used to being in the kitchen, having said that, I'm experienced in cooking the old fashioned way. These pastries simply didn't turn out, don't know why. They never doubled in size and stayed small. The only thing that I did that was different was to double the recipe.