Best Italian Honey Clusters Recipes

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STRUFOLI I



Strufoli I image

Italian cookie also known as honey clusters. My family has made these every Christmas for years. We make several batches and like to use a little extra chocolate. Walnuts or pine nuts also work in place of almonds. If the batter is to sticky add a little extra flour. Good luck.

Provided by Nancy

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
16 ounces honey
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate
½ cup blanched slivered almonds
1 (1.75 ounce) package multicolored sprinkles (jimmies)
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
⅓ cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Steps:

  • Place eggs in bowl and beat until they have tripled in volume. Add flour gradually until well blended (do not use all the flour). The dough should remain slightly sticky.
  • Transfer to floured board. Cut off a piece at a time. Using a little flour, if needed, roll between your hands to form pencil shapes.
  • Cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Place each on floured cloth. In a large pan on top of the stove, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep-fry pieces about 1/2 cup at a time, turning constantly until golden. Drain and set aside. (Note: after several batches, dough begins to turn brown quickly. This means it is time to change the oil)
  • In large pan, bring honey to boil with vanilla bean. Discard bean. Place deep-fried pieces into hot honey and toss until all are coated. Cool and stir in chocolate, nuts, and multi-colored jimmies. Place on plate, shaping firmly into tall cone. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 491.9 calories, Carbohydrate 90.8 g, Cholesterol 93 mg, Fat 12 g, Fiber 2.2 g, Protein 9.2 g, SaturatedFat 2.4 g, Sodium 39.7 mg, Sugar 59.4 g

STRUFFOLI | ITALIAN HONEY BALLS RECIPE



Struffoli | Italian Honey Balls Recipe image

Struffoli Italian honey balls are small fried balls of dough, caramelized in honey and decorated with rainbow sprinkles and candied fruit. Struffoli is a typical Italian dessert for Christmas that in December you can find in every home and Italian pastry shop.

Provided by Recipes from Italy

Categories     dessert recipes

Time 1h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

400 g (3 cups) of flour
3 medium eggs
80 g (1/3 cup) of unsalted butter
40 g (2 3/4 tablespoons) of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of aniseed liquor
zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
600 ml (2 1/2 cups) of seed oil for frying
250 g (3/4 cup) of Wildflower or Acacia honey
Rainbow Sprinkle Toppings
Candied fruit

Steps:

  • Melt the butter in a double boiler and let it cool. In a large bowl, mix together the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt.
  • Add sugar, melted butter, the liquor, eggs and the orange zest. Mix the ingredients with the help of a wooden spoon.
  • Continue to knead with your hands, until you get a homogeneous dough, free of lumps. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • After the resting time, cut the dough into equal parts. With your flat hands, roll each piece on the work surface as if to make a cylinder about 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick.
  • Slice the roll of dough with the help of a small knife into many pieces of 1 cm (1/2 inch) in size. You can leave your Sruffoli in small pieces or give them the shape of balls by rolling them between the palms of your hands.
  • Fry Struffoli few at a time turning them a couple of times. In 30-40 seconds they will be ready. Drain them with a skimmer and place on a serving dish, covered with absorbent kitchen paper.
  • In a saucepan that can contain all the struffoli, pour almost all the honey and some rainbow sprinkles. Heat over very low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. This step is to make the honey more liquid and more malleable.
  • Turn off the heat and add the struffoli. Add one more tablespoon of sprinkles and mix all together. When all the Struffoli are wrapped in honey and sprinkles, immediately transfer them, still hot, to a serving dish.
  • Give them the shape you prefer, for example the classic pyramid or the classic donut shape that resembles a Christmas wreath!

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 100 g, Calories 377 cal

ITALIAN HONEY CLUSTERS



Italian Honey Clusters image

My mother made these treats flavored with cinnamon and anise for neighbors, teachers and anyone who stopped by. Make sure the honey doesn't boil longer than a minute or it could burn.-Sarah Knoblock, Hyde Park, Indiana

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield about 2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup 2% milk
Oil for deep-fat frying
1 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Nonpareils, optional

Steps:

  • Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, aniseseed and salt. Stir in eggs and milk. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Shape into a disk; wrap and let stand 1 hour., Divide dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion into 1/2-in.-thick ropes; cut crosswise into 1/2-in. pieces. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 350°. Fry pieces, a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place dough pieces in a large heatproof bowl and keep warm in a 200° oven., In a large heavy saucepan, combine honey and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and drizzle over dough pieces. Stir to coat. Immediately spoon into prepared cups. Sprinkle with pine nuts and, if desired, nonpareils.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 161 calories, Fat 5g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 31mg cholesterol, Sodium 27mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

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