Rosquillas de San José

Method

1. In a saucepan, combine water, a strip of lemon peel, and extra virgin olive oil. Heat until the mixture reaches about 80°C (when small bubbles appear).
2. Add salt and sugar, then add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
3. Remove the lemon peel. Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
5. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Grease a baking sheet with butter. Pipe small round mounds, leaving a slight indent in the center.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C, then reduce to 180°C. Bake the pastries for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and dry.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream (crema pastelera) according to your favorite recipe. Optionally add a splash of rum after cooking.
8. Let the baked pastries cool completely. Cut each one horizontally in half.
9. Fill the bottom half with pastry cream. Top with the other half. Garnish the center with a small dollop of pastry cream, a drizzle of simple syrup, and a whole maraschino cherry.
10. Dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate for about one hour to allow the flavors to meld before serving.