My Moms Strufoli Food

NEAPOLITAN STRUFFOLI

Steps:

• Combine flour, lemon zest, orange zest, baking powder, and salt together in a food processor; pulse to combine. Mix eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl; add 1/3 cup olive oil and vanilla extract and beat again. Mix together with flour mixture using hands to knead.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat frying oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface; continue to knead sticky dough with floured hands. Flatten dough into a thin loaf about 10 inches long. Cut long ropes from the loaf, then slice ropes into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Fry dough pieces in batches in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Heat honey in a saucepan until warm and fluid, about 1 minute. Pour hot honey over struffoli and toss to coat. Sprinkle with multi-colored sprinkles.

GRANDMA HELEN'S STRUFFOLI

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Add all liquid ingredients (Except honey) to dry to form a dough.
• Knead dough well to incorporate all ingredients.
• For balls roll dough out in 1/4 inch round strips like pencils.
• Cut the pieces at small intervals with an angle cut.
• How far apart you make the cut is your judgment call, as the smaller the spacing the smaller the balls and vice versa.
• Mom likes the look leaving them as is with the angle cut giving a unique shape to the balls as they fry.
• If you prefer perfectly rounded balls, you can roll the pieces in the palms of your hands like miniature meatballs before frying.
• For ribbons cut some of the dough in flat strips about 1/2 inch wide preferably using a crimped edge cutting wheel as it gives a fancy serrated edge to them.
• Form loops or bow shapes with the ribbons and deep fry balls and ribbons separately until golden brown (ribbons as they are flat will cook quicker than the balls).
• Drain on absorbent paper.
• Heat honey in a deep pot until it starts to thin out and become pourable.
• Remove from heat.
• Dip bows and ribbons in warm honey and set aside.
• Add balls to the honey and toss to coat.
• Transfer balls to holiday platter and top with the ribbons and bows.
• Or you can mound the balls to look like a Christmas tree and decorate with bows on the sides.
• Sprinkle with multi colored sprinkles.

STRUFFOLI

Steps:

• Heat at least 2" of cooking oil in a pan until its very hot. Place flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well (indentation) in the center of flour and add the eggs one at a time, mixing slightly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix well to make a soft dough. Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and elastic.
• Divide dough into halves and lightly roll each half 1/4 inch thick to form a rectangle. Cut dough with a pastry cutter into strips 1/4" wide. Use the palm of your hand to roll strips to pencil thickness. Cut into pieces about 1/4" to 1/2" long.
• Fry only as many pieces of dough as will float one layer deep for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Drain before removing, and then place on several paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
• In a different pan heat the honey until it is hot. Add in the drained fried dough pieces. Stir constantly until all pieces are coated. Remove, place in a glass bowl and keep it in the refrigerator to cool slightly. Remove and sprinkle with the sprinkles!

STRUFOLI

Steps:

• Beat eggs until light.
• Add all dry ingredients and blend well.
• Knead until dough forms a smooth surface.
• Roll dough out on floured board with floured rolling pin to a 1/2 inch thickness.
• Cut into 1/2 inch strips.
• Pinch off 1/2 inch pieces.
• Pour oil in large heavy frying pan until about 2" deep.
• Heat oil until a small piece of dough bubbles and rises to surface quickly.
• Do not overheat.
• Place cut pieces of dough onto slotted spoon and lower into oil.
• When the dough puffs up and is slightly browned remove with slotted spoon and put fried morsels into a"doubled" brown paper bag to absorb excess oil.
• Repeat using all the dough---Note: sometimes the oil will froth--give the oil a stir--do not let the oil get too hot or they will burn.
• When all dough is fried place morsels into a new"doubled" brown paper bag--place bag near heat source to coax out as much oil as possible---leave over night.
• Next day put struffoli in a new"doubled" and shake shake shake.
• Heat honey in large heavy pot stir in vanila.
• Slowly pour struffoli into honey stir to coat.
• Spoon onto serving plate and sprinkle with colored sprinkles.

STRUFFOLI

Steps:

• Get out a large, rimmed baking sheet and shake the semolina over the base. And get out another tray (it doesn't have to be a baking sheet) and line it with a double layer of paper towels. Set both aside while you get on with the dough.
• Beat the eggs, sugar, finely grated lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil until frothy. Gradually add about 2 2/3 cups of the flour and the baking powder, and mix to a dough. If it is too sticky, then add more flour and keep kneading, using either your hands or a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook, until you have a smooth, pliable dough. This doesn't take very long: probably around 3 minutes or 5 by hand.
• Flour your work surface and turn out your dough. Then divide the dough into 10 roughly equal pieces, each about the size of a golf ball. Take 1 ball and roll it into a rope approx. 1/2 inch thick, then with floury hands divide this into about 20 small pieces, and roll each piece between your hands (flouring them again if this helps) to make marble-sized balls.
• Place the formed balls of dough on the semolina-sprinkled baking sheet, as you shape them. Repeat the process with the remaining golf-ball-sized portions of dough: you should make a staggering 200 of the tiny balls!
• Heat the vegetable oil in a wide, heavy pan-about 11 inches diameter and at least 6 inches deep-and then when the oil is at 375°F but no higher (you can leave a preserving or candy thermometer in, if you want), or a piece of bread sizzles and browns immediately when dropped in the pan, you can begin to cook the dough balls. Regulate the temperature and keep a careful eye on the pan and the oil all the time.
• Gently lower, using a mesh scoop or perforated spoon, about 15 little dough balls at a time. At first they will sink and then, as they cook, they'll float to the surface and begin to turn golden brown. This will take up to about 1 minute depending on how many you have in at a time, but be ready to fish them out with your mesh scoop or perforated spoon onto the paper towel-lined tray as soon as they become the right golden color. And keep watching your pan.
• Continue to cook them in batches-making sure the oil returns to the correct temperature but doesn't get too hot or bubble too vigorously-until they are all fried; you can pile them up on the tray without harm. Now turn off the heat under the oil pan, and move on to the adhesive and assembly stage.
• Pour the honey into a roasting pan that can go on the stove, and heat very gently until it becomes runny-a matter of moments, so do not leave the pan-then take it off the heat.
• Tip all of the fried dough balls into the warmed honey and, using a soft spatula, turn them gently to coat them. Get out a large plate or cake stand with a slight lip or rim and, with wet hands, check the balls are not too hot then pick up the sticky balls and arrange them around the outer edge of the plate in the shape of a bobbly wreath, leaving just a small empty circle in the middle. Do not worry about symmetry or perfection or counting dough balls here, please.
• Wash the honey from your hands and shake your chosen sprinkles over the sticky wreath, then stand back and admire, before placing your creation where others can do likewise. These struffoli are best, to my mind, eaten on the day they're made. Use a scoop or spoon and fork to serve. It will be a sticky affair, but that's part of their charm.