Nutrition: per serving
Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer along with the milk, yeast, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Beat two of the eggs and add them, too. Mix with the dough hook attachment for 5 mins until you have a smooth, sticky dough. With the motor still running on a low speed, add the butter, a teaspoon at a time. Knead for 8-10 mins or until the dough is smooth, sticky and shiny – it should hold onto the dough hook with the motor running but be soft enough to relax once the motor is off. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hr until doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, knock back on a lightly floured worksurface. Divide into 16 balls (weighing for accuracy, if you like), form into balls and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, well spaced apart. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 45 mins.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the third egg and brush this over the buns. Bake for 15-20 mins or until deep golden and doubled in size. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. At this stage, the cooled maritozzi will keep frozen for up to three months.
For the filling, whip together the cream, lemon zest, cordial and icing sugar to soft peaks using an electric whisk. Split the buns through the middle, being careful not to go all the way through. Spoon ½ tbsp of pistachio paste into half of the buns and ½ tbsp of raspberry jam into the remaining buns. Pipe or spoon a large dollop of cream into all the buns, then smooth over using a palette knife or the
back of a cutlery knife.
Put the chopped pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries on small plates, then press the cream of the pistachio paste filled buns into the pistachios, and the raspberry jam filled buns into the raspberries. Use a piece of baking paper to cover half the buns and dust with icing sugar.
