Oven-Baked Pistachio Cream Zeppole

1. Prepare the filling by combining the ricotta, the sugar and the pistachio cream, mixing by hand or with a mixer. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge.
2. Prepare the choux pastry. In a thick-bottomed pot, pour the water and add the butter, the salt and the sugar (if using).
3. Bring to the boil,* then add the sifted flour and stir for about 1 minute over medium heat, until a smooth, supple dough that easily comes off the sides of the pot forms. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor or a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, taking care to wait until each one is fully incorporated before beating in the next.
5. Transfer the dough (which should be yellow and supple) into a piping bag with a star tip. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, make rounds of dough (by laying down 2 concentric circles) about 7-8 cm in diameter.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F on the convection setting. Bake for 15 minutes, without ever opening the oven door, then lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for 10 minutes longer. The zeppole should puff up, take on a golden colour and sound hollow.
7. Turn off the oven and prop the door slightly open by slipping in the handle of a wooden spoon.
8. After 7-8 minutes, remove the zeppole from the oven and leave them to rest.
9. Take the filling out of the fridge and, with a pastry bag, garnish the top of the zeppole with the ricotta-pistachio cream and decorate with 1 or 2 cherries. You can also pierce the base of the zeppole and stuff them with the filling.
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Note: The zeppole can keep in the fridge for several hours, but will have a tendency to become soggy. It would be preferable to prepare the filling and the choux separately several hours in advance, then to garnish just before serving.

*This is a very important step. Only add the flour when you see bubbles forming in the water/butter liquid mixture (100°C temperature).