Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Put the water in a pot, add the butter, the salt and the sugar and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, pour in all the flour and cook the paste for about 10 minutes over a high heat.

Leave to cool until lukewarm, then add the eggs one at a time and work into a fairly firm, smooth dough.

Put the dough in a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe plenty of small rings onto baking paper on the oven tray, leaving enough space between them (they will spread as they bake).

Bake in an already hot oven at about 190°C for about 30 minutes. Open the oven slightly every now and then to let the steam out.

Once cooled, decorate each one with a generous swirl of custard and a candied sour cherry (well drained and patted dry with paper towel, to avoid the unsightly effect of syrup running down the custard).

Dust with icing sugar.

(for the custard, see the basic recipes section)