Christmas Honey Fritters (Struffoli)

From the kitchen of Carly

Tiny golden balls of fried dough bound together with warm honey, studded with citrus zest and a splash of limoncello. This Italian Christmas classic is crisp outside, tender inside, and dangerously easy to eat by the handful.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 13 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 15 large eggs
  • 11 large egg yolk
  • 1Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 1Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1Grated zest of 1 orange
  • 11/2 teaspoon salt
  • 11 tablespoon limoncello or grand Marnier
  • 14 cups extra-virgin olive oil, for deep-frying
  • 12 cups honey
  • 1"Confectioners sugar
  • 1for dusting"

Instructions

  1. 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, eggs, yolk, half the lemon zest, the orange zest, salt, and limoncello. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix well, then knead into a firm dough, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  2. 2. Cut the dough into golf ball-sized pieces. One at a time, roll each one into a 1/2-inch-thick rope, and cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Place in a floured tray.

  3. 3. In a large deep pot, heat the oil to 375°F. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the balls until dark golden brown, using a slotted spoon to turn them often; they will puff up while cooking. As they finish, transfer them to a tray lined with paper towels, to drain.

  4. 4. When all of the struffoli are cooked, combine the honey, lemon juice, and the remaining lemon zest in a wide 6-to 8-quart pot until quite warm (about 150°F) and substantially thinner. Add the struffoli and stir carefully until well coated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pot, stirring frequently.

  5. 5. Pour out the stroffoli onto a large serving tray in the form of a pyramid or a ring. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.