Struffoli

Struffoli, also known as Honey Balls (and many other dialect names!) are the perfect sweet treat to serve at Christmas.

The intriguing part about struffoli is that everyone has a unique recipe and often the secrets to getting them just right are kept close by Nonna. This struffoli recipe pairs the perfect citrus flavors of orange and lemon with the sweetness of honey to bring a pop of freshness to your Christmas dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 g (1.66cups) Plain Flour
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 2 x eggs
• Orange & Lemon Zest (1/2 of each depending on size)
• 2 x tablespoons Limoncello
• Peanut oil
• Pinch of salt
• 150ml (0.44cup) of Honey
• Coloured sprinkles

METHOD:

1. To make your struffoli, add 250g (1.66 cups) plain flour to a mixing bowl followed by 2 tablespoons of sugar and two eggs.

2. To add an incredible southern Italian citrus flavour to this sweet recipe, add lemon zest from both a lemon and an orange – at least ½ based on medium sized fruit.

3. Follow the citrus zest with the limoncello (Nonna’s homemade is best but store-bought will work too!), along with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil and just a pinch of salt.

4. It’s now time to start mixing the struffoli dough! Fix the dough hook inside the mixer, seal it into place and start mixing at a medium speed.

5. Your dough will come together quite fast, but if its looking really sticky, add some more flour, just a sprinkle at a time and continue to mix.

6. Once all of the ingredients from the side of the bowl have disappeared and come together, your dough is ready.

7. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on top of a wooden board or your kitchen workbench before removing the dough from the mixer and placing it on top. Then, gently working it a little more, gradually into a ball until it becomes nice and smooth.

8. Now, cover the struffoli dough with a dry tea towel and leave it to rest for at least 1.2hr. Even a little more if you have time!

9. After ½ hr, remove the dough from your tea towel and stretch it with a rolling pin into a wide shape – only roll it a few times, making sure it’s not too thin.

10. Next, cut a piece of the dough – up to 1.5cm wide, and begin rolling it with the palm of your hands, almost like gnocchi, until you get a long, medium-size snake.

11. It is best to start from the middle and use both hands to roll back and forth until you form the shape.

12. When each one is ready, place it to the side on a tray with some baking paper underneath so it doesn’t stick.

13. Keep forming the long snake-like shapes until you finish the struffoli dough.

14. Once you have finished, place up to 10 of them at a time back on your bench/wooden board and cut them straight down, making each piece less than 1cm.

15. Then, make sure you separate them and put them back on to the tray with baking paper so they don’t stick.

16. Heat up peanut oil in a deep saucepan and bring it up to approx. 180degrees celcius.

17. Drop each small ball in separately, making sure none of them stick together.

18. Gently lift and turn the struffoli, making them dance in the pan and turning them as you go until they brown all around.

19. It is important you don’t take your eyes off them, as they can very easily burn!

20. Once they have browned all around, lift and strain them, transferring them on to a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate…Enjoy!