Ingredients:
1 cup + ¾ tablespoon water
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons caster's sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup + 3¼ tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Zest from 1 lemon
Amareno cherries or maraschino cherries
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:
1. Cut parchment paper into sixteen 3 x 3-inch squares. Using a pencil, draw a circle with a 2-inch diameter on each square. Transfer squares to a baking sheet (12 to each baking sheet). To prevent the squares from moving as you pipe the choux pastry, lightly grease the pencil marked side of each square with shortening and place greased side down on baking sheet.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until paste reaches an internal temperature of 176° F and pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow paste to cool, stirring a couple of times, to an internal temperature of 122° F, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer paste to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat paste at medium speed adding the eggs one-at-a-time, making sure each egg is well incorporated into the paste before adding the next.

5. Add the lemon zest and beat just to combine. Transfer the paste to the refrigerator and allow paste to chill for 20 minutes.

6. Heat 3 inches of oil in a large, deep frying pan to 340° F.

7. Transfer choux pastry to a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip (like Ateco [I have to look it up] or Wilton 6B). To form each zeppole nest, hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the baking sheet and using the drawn circle as your guide (make sure the pencil marks are facing down), pipe a 2-inch-wide circle in a spiral pattern on the parchment square beginning in the center of the circle and working your way out to the edges of the circle. Without lifting the pastry tip continue piping around the edge of the circle once more to create a nest.

8. When oil comes to temperature, carefully place 2 to 3 zeppole (do not cook more than 3 zeppole at a time or the oil will not remain hot enough to cook the zeppole) in the oil (attached to the paper, the paper will slip off easily within a few seconds and the paper can be removed with a set of tongs). Cook gently, turning occasionally with a spider or slotted spoon to allow the zeppole to rise evenly, until puffed and golden on each side, about 5 minutes.

9. Remove zeppole with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a baking sheet lined with a few layers of paper towels.

Assembly:
1. Transfer pastry cream to a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (like Ateco [I have to look it up] or Wilton 1M).

2. Pipe pastry cream to fill each Zeppole and a swirl on top.

3. Top with half a cherry, dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve. (Zeppole are best enjoyed on the day they are made.)