Struffoli
Struffoli
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Dana Calicchio
www.inthekitchenwithdana.com
A Neapolitan dish made of deep fried balls of sweet dough. ... Crunchy on the outside and light inside, struffoli are mixed with honey, sugar and citrus juices to give these little balls of heaven a wonderful flavor. It is usually made in the colder months or around Christmas time, but craved all year long. Why wait? Make them anytime and see the happiness on your family and friends faces.
INGREDIENTS
o 2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
o 1 large lemon, zested and juice (about 2 teaspoons)
o 1 large orange, zested and juice (about 2 teaspoons)
o 5 tablespoons sugar
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
o 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
o 3 large eggs
o 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
o Vegetable oil, for frying
Honey coating
o 1 cup honey
o 1/2 cup sugar
o 1 lemon zested and juiced
o 1 orange zested and juiced
o Rainbow sprinkles, for decoration
o Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
Instructions
For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, juices and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow gluten in flour to develop.
Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into ropes until 1/4-inch thick. Less flour is best as it is hard to roll strips with too much flour. Line up ropes side by side and cut into 1/4 inch pieces using dough scraper. Roll pieces into balls and lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch Oven or Fryer, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 365 degrees F. In batches, fry the dough stirring and turning constantly until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Continue frying dough balls until all are done. After drained, Place in a Large bowl to coat with Honey mixture.
In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon and orange juice over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and stir until coated well with the honey mixture. Add Sprinkles and stir. Allow the Struffoli to cool for 2 minutes. And transfer to a bowl or platter and shape into desired shape.
Allow to set for 2 hours (If you don’t eat all of them). Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
These are best if made the day of serving. But can be made a day before. The reason for this is the sprinkles melt from the honey mixture and the struffoli tend to toughen as days pass and aren’t as great.
