Struffoli (Neapolitan Honey Balls)
By Annie PetitoPublished on September 27, 2021
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 4½ cups)
Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder 3 large eggs, lightly beaten4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying1 cup honey 2 tablespoons multicolored nonpareils, plus extra for garnish¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped fine (optional)8 candied cherries (optional)
Before You Begin
We strongly recommend weighing the flour. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. Make sure that all your equipment is in place before you start frying. For an impressively tall mound of struffoli, use a serving plate that's 10 to 11 inches across.
Instructions
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in large bowl. Add eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and stir with rubber spatula until soft dough forms. Transfer dough to counter and knead briefly to bring together into ball, about 30 seconds. Dough will be slightly tacky. (Dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees. While oil heats, divide dough into 6 equal pieces, about 3 ounces (85 grams) each. Flatten 1 piece of dough into 5 by 3-inch rectangle, with shorter side facing you (lightly grease your hands and counter if dough sticks). Using bench scraper or sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise into 6 equal strips. Cut strips crosswise into 10 equal rows to create sixty ½-inch pieces. Separate dough pieces and place on prepared sheets, keeping pieces from touching (pieces needn't be spherical). Repeat with remaining dough.
- Line 13 by 9-inch baking pan with triple layer of paper towels. Place 25 to 30 struffoli in slotted spoon or spider skimmer (it's OK if they touch). Gently submerge spoon in oil to transfer struffoli to pot (oil may foam slightly). Cook, stirring frequently, until struffoli are crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer struffoli to prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough (spoon may be hot), adjusting burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 365 degrees. Let struffoli cool completely, about 15 minutes (cooled struffoli can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen in zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month).
- Heat honey in large saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles break constantly and rapidly across surface. Off heat, add struffoli and stir until evenly coated. Return to heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let struffoli cool in saucepan for 5 minutes. While struffoli cool, spray serving platter lightly with vegetable oil spray and wipe with paper towel, leaving thin film.
- Add nonpareils to saucepan and stir to coat evenly. Stir in almonds and orange peel, if using. Using slotted spoon, lift struffoli from saucepan and transfer to prepared platter, piling into mound. Garnish with candied cherries, if using, and extra nonpareils. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes (cooled struffoli can be covered with waxed paper or parchment paper and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days). Use 2 spoons to transfer individual servings to plates or allow guests to pluck pieces from platter.
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 4½ cups)Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons multicolored nonpareils, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped fine (optional)
8 candied cherries (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons multicolored nonpareils, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped fine (optional)
8 candied cherries (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons multicolored nonpareils, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped fine (optional)
8 candied cherries (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Struffoli, a classic Neapolitan treat that's traditionally served at Christmas, Easter, and other festive occasions, consists of chickpea-size deep-fried dough balls that have been drenched in warm honey, piled onto a platter, and topped with multicolored nonpareils and sometimes other embellishments. Making the soft, malleable dough with melted (rather than softened) butter meant that it could be quickly mixed together by hand. Portioning hundreds of tiny, uniform dough balls usually involves rolling ropes, cutting them into small pieces, and rolling each one by hand into a chickpea-size ball, but it was much more efficient to flatten hunks of dough into rectangles and make evenly spaced perpendicular cuts like a grid. Even the ball-rolling step was unnecessary, since the tiny dough pieces puffed into rounds when fried. Briefly simmering the cooled fried dough balls in honey married the two components and thickened the honey a bit so that it clung well. Nonpareils were a must for the toppings, but incorporating candied orange peel and cherries and toasted almonds added complex flavor and texture as well as festive appeal.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
We strongly recommend weighing the flour. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. Make sure that all your equipment is in place before you start frying. For an impressively tall mound of struffoli, use a serving plate that's 10 to 11 inches across.
Instructions
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in large bowl. Add eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and stir with rubber spatula until soft dough forms. Transfer dough to counter and knead briefly to bring together into ball, about 30 seconds. Dough will be slightly tacky. (Dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees. While oil heats, divide dough into 6 equal pieces, about 3 ounces (85 grams) each. Flatten 1 piece of dough into 5 by 3-inch rectangle, with shorter side facing you (lightly grease your hands and counter if dough sticks). Using bench scraper or sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise into 6 equal strips. Cut strips crosswise into 10 equal rows to create sixty ½-inch pieces. Separate dough pieces and place on prepared sheets, keeping pieces from touching (pieces needn't be spherical). Repeat with remaining dough.
- Line 13 by 9-inch baking pan with triple layer of paper towels. Place 25 to 30 struffoli in slotted spoon or spider skimmer (it's OK if they touch). Gently submerge spoon in oil to transfer struffoli to pot (oil may foam slightly). Cook, stirring frequently, until struffoli are crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer struffoli to prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough (spoon may be hot), adjusting burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 365 degrees. Let struffoli cool completely, about 15 minutes (cooled struffoli can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen in zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month).
- Heat honey in large saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles break constantly and rapidly across surface. Off heat, add struffoli and stir until evenly coated. Return to heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let struffoli cool in saucepan for 5 minutes. While struffoli cool, spray serving platter lightly with vegetable oil spray and wipe with paper towel, leaving thin film.
- Add nonpareils to saucepan and stir to coat evenly. Stir in almonds and orange peel, if using. Using slotted spoon, lift struffoli from saucepan and transfer to prepared platter, piling into mound. Garnish with candied cherries, if using, and extra nonpareils. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes (cooled struffoli can be covered with waxed paper or parchment paper and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days). Use 2 spoons to transfer individual servings to plates or allow guests to pluck pieces from platter.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments