Struffoli | TasteToronto

Struffoli

45 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Tara Omidvar

Struffoli is a Neapolitan dessert made for Christmas. It's a chickpea-sized fried dough coated in honey and orange syrup. These little balls are airy and soft in the middle and perfectly crunchy outside with a hint of orange and lemon. Struffoli is a symbol of wealth and, therefore, good wishes for the new year.

Making Struffoli is easy and requires just a few ingredients, but shaping the dough into small balls takes time and patience. The good news is it keeps fresh for quite some time, so you can actually make it a day ahead and keep at room temperature.

Ingredients

Struffoli

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lemon (zested)
1 orange (zested)
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
3 eggs
Oil, for frying
Sprinkles

Syrup

1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Struffoli

13 Steps

Step 1

Place the flour, sugar, the orange and lemon zests, salt and baking powder in a food processor. Pulse to combine.
Step 2

Add the butter and pulse until the butter is fully incorporated.
Step 3

Add eggs and pulse until the the dough forms.
Step 4

Lightly flour your working surface and transfer the dough to the surface. Form into a ball and wrap the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 5

Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece on the work surface into a 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut the rope into 1/3-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball and place on the baking sheet.
Step 6

Heat up the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.
Step 7

Fry the dough balls in batches until cooked and golden brown.
Step 8

Make the syrup by adding the honey, orange juice and sugar in a skillet. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a minute or until sugar dissolves.
Step 9

Add all of the dough balls to the skillet and toss until well coated.
Step 10

Coat outside of a glass with cooking spray and place in the middle of a round plate.
Step 11

Pile the struffoli around the glass, creating a wreath shape.
Step 12

Drizzle the remaining syrup over the top and decorate with sprinkles.
Step 13

Let sit for 10 minutes then carefully remove the glass. Serve and enjoy!