Struffoli
Crisp, marble-sized fried dough balls glazed in aromatic honey, shaped into a festive wreath and garnished with candied fruit and sprinkles.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep frying pan
- •Slotted spoon
- •Rolling pin
- •Chef's knife
- •Large wide saucepan
- •Serving platter
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Tip the flour onto a work surface and create a wide well in the middle.
- 2
Add the eggs, melted butter, sugar, liqueur, citrus zests, and salt into the well.
- 3
Whisk the wet ingredients with a fork, gradually incorporating surrounding flour from the edges.
- 4
Knead the mixture firmly by hand for five minutes until a smooth, compact dough forms.
- 5
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and rest for thirty minutes at room temperature.
- 6
Roll small portions of dough into long ropes roughly the width of a pencil.
- 7
Cut the ropes into tiny, marble-sized pieces no larger than one centimetre wide.
- 8
Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 175 degrees C.
- 9
Fry the dough pieces in small batches for two minutes until puffed and light golden.
- 10
Transfer the fried balls onto kitchen paper using a slotted spoon to drain.
- 11
Warm the honey in a wide saucepan over low heat until completely runny and fluid.
- 12
Stir the fried balls and candied peel into the honey, then pile into a ring on a platter and scatter with sprinkles.
Chef's tips
Cut the dough pieces quite small because they expand noticeably when frying. Ensure the honey is warm and fluid before tossing the fried balls to coat them evenly without crushing them. To form a neat ring, place an oiled drinking glass in the centre of your platter before piling the struffoli around it.
Ingredient substitutions
- limoncello → anisette, strega, or dark rum
- candied citron → candied orange or lemon peel
Storage
Store covered at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to one week.
Reheating
Do not reheat; struffoli are best enjoyed at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting the dough pieces too large, which makes them heavy rather than crisp.
- •Overheating the honey until it darkens and turns unpleasantly bitter.
- •Frying at too low a temperature, causing the dough to absorb excess oil.
Serving suggestions
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