Struffoli is Italian dessert sweet made with fried dough balls which are crunchy outside and soft and airy inside. These balls are sweetened with sugar honey syrup and flavoured with orange and lemon zest. They make a wonderful dessert as well as a snack to enjoy anytime when you are craving for something sweet.
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Struffoli: Neapolitan Fried Honey Dough Balls
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 40
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Crispy fried dough balls, tossed in honey syrup and hazelnuts—a classic Italian Christmas treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (237 ml) plain flour
- baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- orange juice
- 1/4 cups (59 ml) yoghurt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch salt
- oil for frying
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) sugar
- 1/4 cups (59 ml) honey
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cups (237 ml) hazelnuts
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla, yogurt, and orange juice.
- Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
- Sprinkle dry flour on your work surface. Divide the dough in half.
- From one half, make 4 small pieces. Roll each into a long strip, then cut into small, hazelnut-sized pieces.
- Roll the small pieces into round balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Heat oil in a pan for frying.
- Deep fry the struffoli balls until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- In another pan, combine sugar, honey, and lemon juice. Boil the syrup for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the fried struffoli and toasted hazelnuts. Mix well to coat.
- Remove from the syrup and serve sprinkled with icing sugar.
- Store in airtight jars.
Notes
- For easier handling, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before forming the balls; this prevents sticking.
- To ensure even cooking, fry the struffoli in batches, avoiding overcrowding the pan.
- For a richer flavor, toast the hazelnuts before adding them to the honey syrup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5-6 pieces
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 10
A bowl of struffoli looks like someone piled up a hundred tiny doughnut holes and poured honey over the lot. And you know what? That is more or less what it is, and it is just delicious.
Struffoli come from Naples, and down there they belong to Christmas, which is why they usually come heaped into a mound or a ring on a plate in the middle of the table for everyone to pick at. The balls are meant to be small, about the size of a hazelnut, so every one you eat is mostly crust. How awesome is that!
Ok, so there's a lot going on in the dough. Flour, sugar and a little baking powder, then lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla and a splash of orange juice. My version uses yogurt where a lot of recipes call for eggs and butter, which makes the dough softer to handle and leaves the inside light and almost "cakey" once it has been fried. If you chill it for half an hour before you roll it, it is a LOT easier to handle.
Then comes the fun part. You roll the dough into ropes, cut the ropes into little pieces, and roll every piece into a ball. It is fiddly and it takes a while, no way around it, but it is not difficult at all.
After being fried until golden, they go straight into a hot syrup of sugar, honey and lemon juice with a handful of toasted hazelnuts, then get piled up and snowed with icing sugar. Warm, they are crisp and sticky at the same time. By the second day they have softened and become chewier, and I honestly cannot tell you which of the two I like better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different citrus zest instead of orange and lemon?
Yes, you can experiment with other citrus fruits like lime or grapefruit zest, but keep in mind that it will alter the flavor profile of the struffoli.
What type of flour is best for making struffoli?
All-purpose flour is recommended for this recipe as it provides the right balance of structure and tenderness for the dough.
How do I know when the struffoli are properly fried?
The struffoli should turn a golden brown color when fried, usually taking about 3-5 minutes; make sure to avoid overcrowding the oil for even cooking.
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