My Mom's Struffoli

This is an old fashioned Italian dessert that we make every year for Christmas! It's basically fried dough coated with honey and multicolored nonpareils. This recipe has been in my family for many generations!

There are many struffoli recipes on the Internet, but this recipe is unique because we add whiskey to the dough! And we make the struffoli into pretty twisted stick shapes. Most people make them into ball shapes. What is also wonderful about my Mom's recipe is that these struffoli can be baked or fried...and they taste just as delicious either way! A nice crunch and slightly sweet! Perfect with a cup of coffee!

My Mom's Strufoli

Ingredients

2 c	all purpose flour
3 lg	eggs-beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp	whiskey
1/2 Tbsp	pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp	Crisco shortening
2 tsp	baking powder
6 oz	honey
3 Tbsp	nonpareils-multicolored
	corn oil-if you choose to fry the struffoli Directions Mix all dry ingred together.   Mix all wet ingred together.   Then mix both together. Mix til dough forms into a ball.   Then knead dough for 5 min. Separate dough into 3 equal pieces. Take a section of dough and roll out to a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1/2"wide x 2"long strips. Twist the strips and set aside covered so that they don't dry out. Do this for all the dough.   Deep fry at 375 degrees til golden brown. Blot on paper towels.             To coat with honey put fried or baked struffoli in a large pot. Drizzle on top with honey. Heat and toss til well coated. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with nonpareils.   THIS CAN ALSO BE BAKED INSTEAD OF FRIED. JUST TAKE THE CUT TWISTED STRIPS AND PLACE THEM ON A PARCHMENT LINED COOKIE SHEET. BAKE AT 375 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR TIL GOLDEN BROWN AND CRUNCHY. THEN FOLLOW THE SAME DIRECTIONS TO COAT THEM WITH HONEY AND NONPARELIS.   This recipe makes one medium sized platter full. Enough for about 6 people. I always double the recipe because it goes quickly!

 

2 c

all purpose flour

3 lg

eggs-beaten

1 1/2 Tbsp

whiskey

1/2 Tbsp

pure vanilla extract

6 Tbsp

Crisco shortening

2 tsp

baking powder

6 oz

honey

3 Tbsp

nonpareils-multicolored

corn oil-if you choose to fry the struffoli

Directions

Mix all dry ingred together.

 

Mix all wet ingred together.

 

Then mix both together. Mix til dough forms into a ball.

 

Then knead dough for 5 min. Separate dough into 3 equal pieces. Take a section of dough and roll out to a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1/2"wide x 2"long strips. Twist the strips and set aside covered so that they don't dry out. Do this for all the dough.

 

Deep fry at 375 degrees til golden brown. Blot on paper towels.          

 

To coat with honey put fried or baked struffoli in a large pot. Drizzle on top with honey. Heat and toss til well coated. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with nonpareils.

 

THIS CAN ALSO BE BAKED INSTEAD OF FRIED. JUST TAKE THE CUT TWISTED STRIPS AND PLACE THEM ON A PARCHMENT LINED COOKIE SHEET. BAKE AT 375 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR TIL GOLDEN BROWN AND CRUNCHY. THEN FOLLOW THE SAME DIRECTIONS TO COAT THEM WITH HONEY AND NONPARELIS.

 

This recipe makes one medium sized platter full. Enough for about 6 people. I always double the recipe because it goes quickly!