My Masterchef 'Sfinec ta' San Guzepp'

This is the recipe that earned me the grey apron in Malta's first edition of MasterChef.  Choux is a very versatile pastry which can be either baked or fried.  Filled with sweet or savoury fillings and served as a starter or dessert.  This recipe is typically  Maltese and usually sold during the feast of St Joseph, 19th March which is a public holiday in Malta.  I have found similar sweets in Sicily which are called 'Sfingi'.  This recipe makes around 30 spoonful sized balls.  Any extra empty pastry shells can cooled then frozen for about 2-3months then heated in 200c oven for about 8 minutes to crisp up again. 

Ingredients

For the Choux

125g water
125g Milk
120g Unsalted Butter
150g Plain Flour
2 tsp Caster Sugar
Pinch Salt
4 medium eggs

For the Filling

300g Ricotta
2 Tbsp Anisette
2 Tbsp Icing Sugar

For the Ganache

100g Cream
100g 70% Chocolate

Garnish

2 Tbsp Pistachios
Icing Sugar

Vegetable Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Put the milk, water, butter sugar and salt  in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter melts. 
2. Turn heat up to roll boiling, turn heat back to low and tip in the sifted flour. Beat vigorously using a wooden spoon, until mixture forms a ball and removes easily from the sides of the saucepan.  Turn heat off.
3. Lightly beat the eggs.
4. Put mixture in a mixer fitted with K beater. Turn speed to low, adding the eggs little by little to the mixture, mixing well between each addition.  Give a few more mixes until the mixture is smooth and silky.  Turn off the mixer.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan keeping the burner on medium low.
6. Add around half tablespoon of mixture to the oil, making sure that you do not put too much each time as the choux will puff to more than double the size.  Fry to golden brown on all sides, keeping an eye not to burn or cook too quickly.  Puffs normally take around 5-7 minutes to cook right to the centre.
7. Remove from oil, using a slotted spoon and place them on some paper towels.
8. Prepare the ricotta filling by adding the Anisette, and sugar.  Mash with a fork or pass through a sieve for a smoother filling.  Put mixture in a piping bag fitted with 1cm round nozzle and set aside.
9. Make ganache by placing cream in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer to approximately 90c.  Turn off heat and add chopped chocolate.  Do not mix at this point but wait for 5 minutes.  The chocolate will melt then using a whisk, mix to have a smooth texture.
10. Toast the pistachios in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle a tablespoon of icing sugar over the nuts and turn using a metal spoon until the icing sugar caramelise.  Turn off heat and let the caramelised nuts cool in the pan.
11. Cut the choux puffs and fill with ricotta cream.
12. Spoon ganache on a serving plate, arrange over the filled zeppoli, and sprinkle with caramelised pistachios.  Dust with some icing sugar.