Zeppole is the Italian pastry that comes in a variety of forms, from sweet to savoury, but they will only be available until Easter.
They’re usually found in all the best Italian restaurants, bakeries and in many homes at this time of year.
In Woodbridge, the suburb just northwest of Toronto, that became home to many second and third generation Italians over the last 25 years, there is a place that many say has the best Zeppole.
The Sweet Boutique is Anthony Macri’s empire.
“At Sweet Boutique, we love to present pastries from all over Italy. The amaretti [biscuits] are very popular and we make many different varieties of them,” Macri said in a recent interview with Suresh Doss of CBC Toronto.
Pastries from all over Italy fill the display cases. (Suresh Doss/CBC)
Macri is well-known for his zeppole. an Italian pastry that is filled like a half-open doughnut.
But unlike the traditional versions, Macri does not deep fry them. They’re a seasonal treat with an interesting past.
“There are many rumours but it originated in Naples. They would serve it for the Feast of Saint Joseph on March 19. The original version was plain without any filling,” Macri explains.
“We even have zeppole going to Sault Ste. Marie,” Macri told Doss. To meet demand, Macri makes up to 10,000 zeppole each week.
“The ricotta is our best seller. We run out of zeppole quickly but the ricotta is always the first to go,” Macri says.
To accommodate the faithful, the Sweet Boutique will open two hours early on Monday March 19th, the feast of St. Joseph.
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