Italian cream-filled pastry puffs

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan.

2. 2

   Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Dry it out over low heat for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Off the heat, beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy, and firm enough to pipe.

4. 4

   Pipe 8 rings onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed, deeply golden, and dry.

5. 5

   Let cool, fill with pastry cream, top each zeppola with an amarena cherry, and dust with powdered sugar.