Struffoli are little balls of dough with a sweet honey glaze and nonpareil sprinkles. My grandma always made them for Christmas, but since she can't do it anymore, I came up with my own variation that she loves because they are a little bit sweeter than the traditional bread-like ones. Also, they have to be formed into a tower... It's tradition!
Ingredients
- eggs: 4 piece
- white sugar: 0.25 cup
- vegetable oil: 0.25 cup
- vanilla extract: 1 tsp
- baking powder: 1 tsp
- all-purpose flour: 0.25 cup (or as needed)
- vegetable oil for frying: 2 cups (or as needed)
- honey: 0.5 cup (to taste)
- white sugar: 0.5 cup (to taste)
- rainbow nonpareil sprinkles: 1 Tbsp (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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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.
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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.
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Working in small batches, fry dough balls in hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer struffoli to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.
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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.
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Transfer struffoli to a large bowl and pour glaze on top; toss quickly to evenly coat before glaze hardens.
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Arrange struffoli into a tower shape or Christmas tree shape on a serving plate. Sprinkle nonpareil sprinkles over struffoli.
