Struffoli Recipes

Steps:

• Place eggs in bowl and beat until they have tripled in volume. Add flour gradually until well blended (do not use all the flour). The dough should remain slightly sticky.
• Transfer to floured board. Cut off a piece at a time. Using a little flour, if needed, roll between your hands to form pencil shapes.
• Cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Place each on floured cloth. In a large pan on top of the stove, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep-fry pieces about 1/2 cup at a time, turning constantly until golden. Drain and set aside. (Note: after several batches, dough begins to turn brown quickly. This means it is time to change the oil)
• In large pan, bring honey to boil with vanilla bean. Discard bean. Place deep-fried pieces into hot honey and toss until all are coated. Cool and stir in chocolate, nuts, and multi-colored jimmies. Place on plate, shaping firmly into tall cone. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Steps:

• Beat eggs, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; stir in baking powder. Slowly stir flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into egg mixture until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into small balls.
• Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) or until you see little waves on the bottom of the saucepan.
• Working in small batches, fry dough balls in the hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer struffoli to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
• Heat honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly mix 1/2 cup sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, into honey until sugar is melted and glaze is smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer struffoli to a large bowl and pour glaze over the top; toss quickly to evenly coat before glaze hardens.
• Form struffoli into a tower-shape or Christmas tree-shape on a serving plate. Sprinkle nonpareils sprinkles over the struffoli.

Steps:

• Break the eggs and whisk. Put eggs through a strainer to make sure they are mixed properly. Add sugar to eggs and mix immediately to prevent sugar from burning eggs. Bring butter to room temperature. Flake butter into the flour.
• Split vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and add them to the sugar/egg mixture. Put mixture into a mixer and mix (using dough hook) and slowly add the flour. Let dough rest in a cool dry place.
• Roll out the dough into small quantities. Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips and cut 1/2-inch pieces from the strips. Place the 1/2-inch squares onto a baking pan.
• Put vegetable oil into a large pot and bring to 350 degrees. Fry small quantities of the dough squares in the oil and when golden brown, place onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. When all dough is fried, let cool to room temperature.
• In a saucepan, heat the honey (not to a boil) and add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan. Stir lightly with a large slotted spoon. Remove from saucepan and place onto a serving plate and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

Steps:

• Put the Crisco and sugar in bowl of mixer. Beat till blended and light.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat till blended.
• Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add more flour in half cup measurements till you have a nice rollable dough.
• Divide the dough and with a floured counter top and hands roll into long ropes between 1/4"-1/2" thick and then cut ropes with a bread knife into about 1/4" balls. This may seem like it will take a long time but it goes very quickly as I enlist my whole family to take part.
• Fry the balls in hot oil till they are golden brown. Remove and put the fried balls in a bowl (with paper towel on bottom) large enough to hold all the struffoli. Remove the paper towel once all struffoli are done.
• Heat 1 cup of honey in a small saucepan. No need to make it too hot, just warm. Pour honey over the struffoli balls. Sprinkle with walnuts and in our family's case chocolate sprinkles.
• The struffoli can then be put into whatever serving dish you like. I use one with a lid as they should be covered when stored. In my house that is on the kitchen island for easy munching.
• After they have sat over night they will need a good stir as the honey sets to the bottom. They may need more honey as well as they absorb it as they sit.

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Add all liquid ingredients (Except honey) to dry to form a dough.
• Knead dough well to incorporate all ingredients.
• For balls roll dough out in 1/4 inch round strips like pencils.
• Cut the pieces at small intervals with an angle cut.
• How far apart you make the cut is your judgment call, as the smaller the spacing the smaller the balls and vice versa.
• Mom likes the look leaving them as is with the angle cut giving a unique shape to the balls as they fry.
• If you prefer perfectly rounded balls, you can roll the pieces in the palms of your hands like miniature meatballs before frying.
• For ribbons cut some of the dough in flat strips about 1/2 inch wide preferably using a crimped edge cutting wheel as it gives a fancy serrated edge to them.
• Form loops or bow shapes with the ribbons and deep fry balls and ribbons separately until golden brown (ribbons as they are flat will cook quicker than the balls).
• Drain on absorbent paper.
• Heat honey in a deep pot until it starts to thin out and become pourable.
• Remove from heat.
• Dip bows and ribbons in warm honey and set aside.
• Add balls to the honey and toss to coat.
• Transfer balls to holiday platter and top with the ribbons and bows.
• Or you can mound the balls to look like a Christmas tree and decorate with bows on the sides.
• Sprinkle with multi colored sprinkles.