Cilento Struffoli – Italian Honey Ball Cookies

Ready in

2h 30 min

Preparation

2h 10 min

Cooking

20 min

Portions

6 Person

Cost

medium

difficulty

medium

5/5

Italian honey ball cookies

Cilento Struffoli

The Cilento struffoli or Italian Honey Ball Cookies are small cylinders of fried dough, after which, they are mixed in cooked honey and once cold, they become crumbly and crunchy, they differ from the Neapolitan ones, because they are rigorously mixed with lard, from which they also take the name and I’m yeast-free.

Cilento Struffoli is an ancient dessert that was given to us by the Greeks, in fact, Cilento belonged to Magna Graecia, and is rich in archaeological areas of which, Paestum and Velia.
Struffoli are for us from Campania as panettone for the Milanese, pandoro for the Veronese and panforte for the Tuscans, that is, these sweets are the emblem of Christmas and absolutely cannot be missing on our tables during the Christmas holidays.

Cilento struffoli, are also accompanied by many other specialties, of course, each province has its own and in Salerno, especially in Cilento, in addition to castagnelle, zeppole, knuckles and scauratielli there are figs with chocolate, a unique specialty in the world, very appreciated by British royalty and American presidents.

Ingredients

Dough
  • 500 g flour 00
  • 100 g fat
  • 100 g sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • organic lemon 
Per Friggere
  • 1 liter corn or extra virgin olive oil
  • 4  sprigs of rosemary to flavor
  • j.e. blotting paper
For Garnish
  •  250 g wildflower honey
  • 100 g whole hazelnuts
  • 100 g almonds
  • 100 g confetti little evils*
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Directions

On a pastry board or in a large bowl, prepare the fountain* with the flour

fontana farina pasta base

strutto impasto

Add the lard to the center of the fountain. If it is hard, melt it in a saucepan without frying it

Put the sugar in the center of the fountain and then break the eggs

uova farina pasta base

grattugiare limone

Grate the lemon zest directly onto the flour

Start kneading starting from the centerStart kneading starting from the center

pasta base mescolare uova

impastare pasta base

Work the dough vigorously for 10 minutes or, until the dough is smooth and compact

Roll the dough into a ball

riposo pasta base

impasto canovaccio

Wrap the dough in a cloth or cling film and let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge

On a pastry board, cut the basic dough into three equal parts, knead it a little and give it the shape of a ball

Form sticks with a circumference of 1 cm or exaggeratedly of the little finger

Cut the sticks into small cubes

olio frittura

In a wok or a high narrow pan, heat the oil to 180°C (350°F), if you don’t have a thermometer, put a pinch of flour in the hot oil if it is frying, the oil is ready

drop the cubes of dough into the oil, a few at a time, otherwise the oil will come out, turn with a slotted spoon* and fry until they are golden brown

With a slotted spoon, remove the struffoli from the oil and place them to drain in a container with absorbent paper and rosemary. Continue this operation until you have finished the pasta

in a low and large pan, melt the honey over moderate heat, until it has become frothy

Pour the struffoli, hazelnuts and almonds into the honey. With two spoons, turn the ingredients continuously, until they have absorbed all the honey.

Pour the struffoli into a serving dish and with a spoon give it the shape of a donut and decorate with the devils *

Tips

  1. The flours are not all the same, therefore, when you knead, adjust with water, the dough should not be too hard or even less soft.
  2. The flour must be strictly semolina.
  3. Do not leave the pasta uncovered otherwise it will dry out.
  4. *Little Evils confetti or Diavolina Confetti are colored sugar sprinkles.
  5. *The fountain is the hole made in the flour so as not to let the liquid ingredients come out.

Storage

The struffoli can be kept in a dessert holder or glass bell, even for a week at room temperature.

Equipments

  1. Pastry board
  2. Cooker
  3. Fridge
  4. Cooking pan
  5. Wok or pot
  6. Silicone spatula
  7. Tea towel
  8. Blotting paper
  9. Skimmer
  10. Large bowl
  11. 2 medium bowls
  12. 2 tbsp
  13. 2 Teaspoons
  14. Tray

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