Neapolitan struffoli — the sweet honey balls of Naples’ cuisine

Struffoli, also known as “honey balls”, are one of the most beloved desserts of Neapolitan cuisine, prepared especially for the year-end holidays. The small dough balls are fried in oil, coated in warm honey and decorated with colorful sprinkles and candied fruit — a recipe that, according to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia, originated in the monasteries of the Amalfi Coast, while the name comes from the Greek word “strongoulos”, meaning “round”.

Ingredients (for 8–10 people):

For the dough:

• 400 g flour
• 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 40 g sugar
• 60 g butter (melted and cooled)
• Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon anise liqueur (or rum)
• 1 pinch of salt
• Sunflower oil for frying (about 500 ml)

For the honey glaze:

• 350 g honey
• 50 g sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

For decoration:

• Colorful sprinkles (diavulilli)
• Candied orange peel, thinly sliced
• Candied cherries (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the eggs, the egg yolk, the cooled butter, the grated citrus zest and the liqueur. Knead until you get a soft, elastic dough. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. Divide the dough into pieces and roll each into ropes about 1 cm thick. Cut them into small pieces the size of a hazelnut and roll them lightly with your palm to give them a ball shape.
3. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 170–180°C. Fry the balls in small batches, for 2–3 minutes, until golden. Drain them on kitchen paper.
4. In a large pan, heat the honey with the sugar and water over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely and the glaze becomes liquid.
5. Remove from the heat, add the fried balls and stir carefully until they are well coated with honey. Add the candied orange peel as well.
6. Pour the mixture onto a large plate and shape it into a wreath (donut) or a pyramid. Decorate with colorful sprinkles and candied cherries. Let it cool completely before serving.

Time and servings: Preparation about 90 minutes (including dough resting) | Cooking about 30 minutes | Servings: 8–10