HOW TO MAKE STRUFFOLA IN 3 EASY STEPS
by Gloria Buono

Christmas Struffola

Struffola is as easy as 1 2 3. Including preparation, frying and honey-coating time, it should take you less than 45 minutes. Like many Italian-American households, Christmastime at my home includes struffola at the dessert table. Also known as honey-balls, struffola is a mound of round, honey-coated, nuggets adorned with multi-colored sprinkles. As a child, I enjoyd helping Grandma roll the dough into long cigar shapes and then cutting them into little balls of dough.

 Ingredients you'll need on hand:

4 eggs

1/2 cup of oil (corn or olive oil)

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tbsp baking power

1 tbsp of valilla (or lemon juice

8 - 12 ounces of honey

bottle of multi-coated sprinkles

paper towels

strainer

slotted spoons

deep pot

STEP 1: MAKE STRUFFOLA DOUGH (estimated time - 20 minutes)
•Add enough flour to make a dough (about 4 cups). Add one cup of flour at a time and blend well by hand or manual dough maker
•Knead dough by hand for about 5 minutes. Do not add too much extra flour, it makes the oil bubble too much when you deep fry the cookies
•Roll pieces of dough into “cigar-like” shapes; Then cut into 1 inch size pieces. The pieces have a square shape, but when they are deep fried, they turn into round balls. Can be creative by making different shapes such as long, flat ribbon shapes and then tie into a bow.

STEP 2: FRY UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN (estimated time - 10 minutes)
•In a deep pot, boil oil and then carefully place cut dough pieces into pot
•Deep fry until golden brown (usually less than 60 seconds). Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

STEP 3: COAT STRUFFOLA WITH HONEY (estimated time - 15 minutes)
•Boil honey in a pot (a few minutes) then lower flame and with slotted spoon put the balls in the honey to coat them all
•Remove the balls with a scoop strainer (or slotted spoon) and place in a bowl or dish. You can be creative and arrange the struffola into a circular mound like the shape of a Christmas wreath or mountain)and add colored sprinkles

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