Today is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph. St. Joseph is known for being the foster father of Jesus Christ and the patron saint of workers. (I learned today that he is also the patron saint of pastry chefs!) The feast day is not celebrated in church with special services, but if you’re Italian, it is definitely celebrated with a special dessert.

There are different stories surrounding how St. Joseph became associated with pastries, but I am always willing to celebrate with a St. Joseph Cake (aka Zeppole). Traditionally, they consist of fried dough (think of a French cruller) filled with ricotta cheese filling, much like cannolis, including little chunks of citron, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a cherry. Other varieties include vanilla custard or whipped cream fillings. I always choose ricotta.

My husband introduced me to St. Joseph Cakes. They were a yearly tradition in his South Philadelphia home on March 19th. He loves this day because his middle name is Joseph, so he considers it another one of his feast days. (To Italians, feast days were/are as important as birthdays.) So tonight I will celebrate this special tradition with my husband and enjoy a St. Joseph Day treat.