Struffoli

This is a family recipe from my great aunt, Vittoria. She’s a fantastic cook, and I have many memories of her making this in her home in Dongan Hills, Staten Island. Struffoli is of Neopolitan origin, and are very tasty, especially when served fresh. It consists of deep fried little cookies, each about the size of grapes, piled on a platter, covered in a honey syrup, and topped with rainbow nonpareils to provide a nice crunch. .

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or anisette

Toppings:

• 200g (about a half cup) of honey
• Nonpareils

Other:

• Neutral tasting frying oil

Directions:

1. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir combine
2. Pour flour on your working counter or working surface. Make a well in the middle.
3. Add eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla/anissette to the well in the middle of the flour, and whisk to combine with a fork, until eggs are lightly beaten
4. Slowly stir in the flour, a little at a time. As it thickens, start using your hands to knead the dough until smooth and uniform.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
6. Cut a chunk off the dough, and roll into a long snake, about a finger in width.
7. Cut the snake into small pieces, about a finger in width.
8. Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of frying oil. Bring up to medium high temperature.
9. place a small number of the dough balls into the pan, and fry, stirring occasionally, until light golden.
10. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel lined vessel to drain.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all the dough is fried.
12. When ready to serve, heat honey in microwave until honey is the consistency of maple syrup, 1-2 minutes.
13. Toss the fried struffoli balls in the honey syrup. Transfer to serving plate. Garnish with sprinkles.

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Notes:

• Optionally add 2-4 tsp of anisette or limocello to honey syrup.
• If you make this ahead of time, make the cookies, dry well, store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and make and add the warm honey syrup and sprinkles just before serving.
• But really… these are best if they’re eaten the day that they’re made. Even moreseo, within hours of making it.
• Great video of technique for assembling and frying, as well as an alternate recipe: https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/struffoli-recipe-authentic-italian-christmas-dessert
• For re-using the fry oil, I let it fully cool, then run through a coffee filter in a V60, and store in a mason jar.