December 23, 2011 at 3:30 pm by Cindy Livesey | Recipes
20 Comments
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Italian Struffoli Recipe
By:Cindy Livesey Total time: Rating: 5.0 Stars based on 2 reviews
This Italian Struffoli Recipe, also known as Italian Honey Balls, is a recipe from my Grandma Anna. We have been making and eating this delicious recipe for years. I’ve had other Italian Struffoli from bakeries, restaurants, friends and even relatives and this one, by far, in my humble opinion, is the best ever! Usually my daughter Nikki and I make these together every year for Christmas. Each year we get requests for them from family and friends. They are that good.
Just a warning, you will need time to make these. They are easy to make but time consuming which is probably why we only make them once a year. I highly recommend doing this as a team as it’s much easier. Nikki rolls the doll and slices it and I drop it into the oil and drain it. But, even though these are time consuming, they are so worth it. It just wouldn’t be the same without them on our Christmas dessert table.
I hope you enjoy these as much as my family has over the years and, like us, they become a family tradition for you.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
48 oz. vegetable oil (use 4 tbs for dough & the rest to cook with)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 tsp anise
approx 3 cups flour (start with 2 1/2 cup and add more as needed)
1 jar Honey
nonpareils
Directions:
1. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl by hand. 2. Heat up the rest of the vegetable oil over med high heat. 3. Take a golf ball size of dough and roll it into a snake till about 1/2″ thick. Cut about 1/4″ slices off of the “snake”. They will not be balls but not to worry, they will come out looking like a ball once cooked. 4. Test 1 ball in the oil. Once it is brown you are ready to start your batches. Cook about 1 “snake” worth at a time. Place in the oil until just slightly brown. Don’t over cook them. 5. Scoop out with slotted spoon and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue with each batch until you have used up all the dough. 6. Mound the balls on a plate (you’ll need one that can hold liquid well). 7. Heat up honey by placing the honey container in boiling water until thin. 8. Pour over the balls to completely coat. 9. Sprinkle with nonpareil. 10. Enjoy!
Tip: Place all the sliced dough onto a paper towel and then “funnel” them into the oil. I recommend using a deep pot so that the oil doesn’t splash out. Ouch, I’ve gotten oil burn before. Once in the oil, be sure to stir them to separate them or you’ll end up with one big blob. Last year we invested in a deep fryer and it has been so much easier.
Struffoli have a sweet citrus flavor, a sticky honey glaze, a crispy exterior, and the softest center imaginable… I can't think of anything that would make this Italian Christmas dessert recipe any more delicious than it already is!
Turdilli are similar to Struffoli – both are dripping in honey, however Turdilli cookies include a special ingredient – wine! Turdilli are native to Calabria, but Italians and Italian Americans everywhere enjoy them. I've seen recipes that use red vermouth but any sweet wine will do.
The dish originally came to Naples from Greece, and the name struffoli comes from the Greek word stróngylos, meaning “round.” Struffoli can be found throughout southern Italy, with many names and varieties, including cicerata and cicerchiata.
The history of Neapolitan struffoli begins with the arrival of the Greeks in the ports of Partenope. It seems that they were the inventors of this dessert.
LaRosa's Struffoli are loved worldwide for their rich honey flavor and unique handmade texture. When it comes to baked goods, quality ingredients and baking techniques make a huge difference in quality, and we don't “mass produce” our Struffoli at LaRosa's.
LaRosa's Struffoli are loved worldwide for their rich honey flavor and unique handmade texture. When it comes to baked goods, quality ingredients and baking techniques make a huge difference in quality, and we don't “mass produce” our Struffoli at LaRosa's.
Struffoli Italian Honey Balls are a specialty treat during the Christmas holidays. They're deep fried morsels of dough which are then dipped in a citrus scented honey syrup and topped with festive sprinkles.
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