Struffoli

A towering plate of golden, glowing struffoli is a Christmas tradition in many Italian households. These little bite-sized pieces of fried dough are considered cookies, but they lean a little more toward fritters if you ask me. However you classify them, there’s no debate that the lemon-and-vanilla-perfumed dough—which is deep-fried until crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, then coated in honey and decorated with Christmas sprinkles—is downright delicious. As if that wasn’t enough, a plate of struffoli makes a beautiful centerpiece for the Christmas dessert table, right next to a stack of pizzelle or an impressive panettone.

What are struffoli?

Struffoli, also known as Italian honey balls, are deep-fried balls of pastry dough coated in honey and decorated with nonpareils. After they’re coated in the honey glaze, the struffoli are arranged on a platter in a wreath shape or tree shape (as we do here). This Italian dessert is considered a cookie and is commonly served on Christmas or Easter.

How to Make Struffoli

To make struffoli, first create the dough and cut it into 20 pieces. From there, roll each piece into a pencil shape, then cut the pencils into 1/2-inch pieces. Fry the pieces of dough in 350°F oil for about four minutes, then use a slotted spoon to fish it out and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer the fried dough to a large bowl and pour warmed honey all over, tossing the struffoli to coat them. Arrange the struffoli on a platter in a tree or wreath shape and decorate them with nonpareils. Allow the struffoli to cool to room temperature, then dig in!

Ingredients for Struffoli

• Oil: The best oils for frying are canola oil, sunflower oil and corn oil. These oils have a high smoke point and neutral flavor, so they won’t alter the honey-citrus goodness of the struffoli. Peanut oil and avocado oil are excellent oils for deep frying, too, but they have stronger flavors that aren’t ideal for this recipe.
• Lemon zest: When zesting a lemon, try to only grate the yellow skin and avoid the bitter white pith underneath.
• Vanilla extract: When a dessert is so simply flavored, it’s a smart idea to splurge on the best vanilla extract for a quality flavor. Plus, if you’re making other Christmas desserts for parties, odds are this ingredient will come in handy.
• Eggs: Take four eggs out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes beforehand to bring them to room temperature.
• All-purpose flour: No need for any fancy type of flour here. All-purpose flour makes a beautiful dough for these bread-like cookies.
• Honey: At the store, double-check the labels so you’re not accidentally buying fake honey. Sometimes producers will “water down” their honeys with sweeteners like corn or rice syrup. Look for the label “True Source Certified” as a guarantee of real honey.
• Sprinkles: While there are so many fun Christmas sprinkles to buy during the holidays, stick with Christmas-colored nonpareils. These smaller candy sprinkles are better suited for the small struffoli, and result in a more enjoyable eating experience. It’s all about mouthfeel!

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dough

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 350°.

While the oil is coming to temperature, make the dough. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Add the eggs and 2 cups of all-purpose flour, and mix well.

Step 2: Knead the dough

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the remaining flour. The dough will be soft.

Step 3: Cut and shape the dough

With a floured knife, scissors or bench knife, cut the dough into 20 pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece into a pencil shape. Cut the pencils into 1/2-inch pieces.

Editor’s Tip: For an unformed look, roll each 1/2-inch piece of dough into a ball, if desired.

Step 4: Fry the dough

Once the oil comes to temperature, fry a few pieces of dough at a time until they’re golden brown, about two minutes per side. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain.

Editor’s Tip: It’s crucial not to overcrowd the oil. Too many pieces of dough can cause a dangerous boil over. It’s also important to bring the oil back to temperature after each fry. Too-cold oil will make the struffoli soggy.

Step 5: Glaze the struffoli

Place the fried struffoli in a large bowl. Heat the honey to a boil, then immediately pour it over the struffoli. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix them well.

Step 6: Arrange them on a platter

Use a slotted spoon to remove the glazed struffoli from the bowl and transfer them to a serving platter, slowly mounding them into a tree shape if desired. Decorate the struffoli with the candy sprinkles before the honey hardens. Cool the stuffoli completely to room temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Include oranges: Struffoli are commonly flavored with oranges, lemons or a combination of both. To add a little orange flavor, add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the dough (with or instead of the lemon zest) and add 1 tablespoon of orange juice to the warmed honey mixture.
• Add nuts: When mixing the struffoli with the warmed honey, feel free to add slivered almonds or hazelnuts for more flavor and crunch in the dessert. Toast the nuts beforehand to bring out their sweetness a bit more.
• Roll into balls: It’s a bit more tedious, but each piece of struffoli is traditionally rolled into a ball before it fries in the oil. You don’t have to do this, but it does make the presentation a bit more uniform.

How to Store Struffoli

Store struffoli in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. Do not store struffoli in the refrigerator, or they’ll become soggy.

Can you freeze struffoli?

Yes, you can freeze struffoli, but only before they’re coated in the honey glaze. Once the struffoli are coated in honey, they should never be stored in the fridge or freezer; the moisture will degrade their integrity. Store fried and cooled struffoli in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to one month. Thaw them at room temperature for an hour, then coat the struffoli in the warmed honey glaze and arrange on the plate.

To store struffoli dough, wrap it tightly in storage wrap, then place it in a zip-top bag or an airtight container. Freeze it for up to one month. Thaw the dough at room temperature.

Can you make struffoli ahead of time?

Yes, you can make struffoli one day in advance of serving them. The colors from the sprinkles may run, though. To avoid this, reserve a small amount of the honey glaze and refrain from adding the sprinkles. Right before serving, reheat the honey glaze, drizzle it over the struffoli tower, and then add the sprinkles.

Struffoli Tips

What if I don’t own a thermometer?

If you don’t own a thermometer, you can check the general temperature by dropping a cube of bread into the oil. If the bread turns golden brown in about three minutes, the oil is good to go. It really is still worth investing in a thermometer, though, for true accuracy and safety.

What part of Italy is struffoli from?

Many people credit Naples as the birthplace of struffoli. People also claim that they originated in the broader Campania region, as well as other areas of southern Italy and even Sicily.

How do you arrange the struffoli into a wreath shape?

Instead of arranging the struffoli in a tree shape, try arranging them in a festive wreath shape. To do so, spray the outside of a drinking glass with non-stick vegetable oil and place it upside-down on a large platter. With a slotted spoon, arrange the struffoli around the drinking glass. Decorate them with the sprinkles and let them cool completely to room temperature. Remove the drinking glass and serve the struffoli.

Watch How to Make Italian Holiday Cookies

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