Best Honey Struffoli With Orange And Pignoli Recipes

ITALIAN HONEY BALLS (PIGNOLATA OR STRUFFOLI)

Steps:

• Mix dough ingredients well. Knead on floured board. Let dough rest for a while.
• Roll dough into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
• Cut dough into 1/4 strips and roll thin (thinner than a pencil).
• Cut off pieces of rolls making tiny pieces (smaller than peas).
• Deep fry in oil. Drain well on paper towels.
• Meanwhile heat honey and sugar. Boil for 15 minutes.
• Stir hot syrup into dough pieces. Stir in almonds.
• Using finger tips dipped in ice water carefully pour mixture onto board. Make into individual size cirles (golf ball size).
• Warning this is very hot so use cooled fingers and spatula to shape but you must work quickly as it hardens quickly.
• Some put sprinkles on top but that is optional.

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.

STRUFFOLI

Steps:

• For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball about the size of a hazelnut. Lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.). In batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (The rested and quartered dough can also be rolled on a floured work surface into 1/2-inch thick logs and cut into equal-sized 1/2-inch pieces. The dough pieces can then be rolled into small balls and fried as above).
• In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and hazelnuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.
• Spray the outside of a small, straight-sided water glass with vegetable oil cooking spray and place in the center of a round platter. Using a large spoon or damp hands, arrange the struffoli and hazelnuts around the glass to form a wreath shape. Drizzle any remaining honey mixture over the struffoli. Allow to set for 2 hours (can be made 1 day in advance). Decorate with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar, if using. Remove the glass from the center of the platter and serve.