You call it Bigné, I call it Spinge, let's call the whole thing off. Well let's eat the freakin' pastry first and then call the whole thing off.

Talk about you mispronunciations. The Bigné di San Giuseppe is actually my favorite pastry. As made in Carroll Gardens premier pastry store Court Pastry it is by far the best pastry you can get. Now it is impossible to get a photo of it unless I take one myself because they never last long enough to get photographed. What they are basically is a pastry shell filled with delicious ricotta cream with a cherry and a candied orange slice with some chocolate chips mixed in the cream. It is heaven.

The pronunciation is weird. When you were a kid you would go in and ask for a dozen St. Joseph's because it traditionally came out only on St. Joseph's day and a week or two afterward. I mean they didn't always have it like they did the cannoli or the eclair. So it was a special treat.

The real name was the St. Joseph Speeen-gie. That is how you would say it. Nothing was better that when he put the big paper sign in the window "WE HAVE SPINGE'S" Man you would rush in to get them. They are the best I tell ya.

Here is a quick recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
5 Tbs butter
3/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 tsp limoncello (lemon liquor)
1 Tbs vanilla
confectioners sugar
oil for baking sheet

Directions
In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat.
The second the water comes to a boil remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once. Stir immediately until smooth.
Add the butter and return the pan to medium heat and keep stirring. The flour and water will form a ball. You will need to stir until the ball no longer sticks to the sides or bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Add eggs one at a time. Stir each egg completely into the pastry before adding the next.
Stir in the limoncello and vanilla.
Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes.
Using a soup spoon, place spoon size pieces of batter on a greased cookie sheet. Leave at least 2" between the drops of batter.
Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. They will be approximately double in size.
Turn the oven off and let the pastries "dry" in the oven. Don't remove until they are completely cool.
Gently open and fill with cannoli cream or orange flavored ricotta filling.
Dust the tops with confectioner's sugar. Add cherry and a candied orange sliver.

Put two one a plate with a cup of espresso on the side and leave me alone.