Homemade Struffoli Recipe
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
12 minutes
Servings:
8 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 ¼ cups flour, divided
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1 orange
  • ½ cup + 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier or other liqueur, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • nonstick cooking spray
Directions
  1. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon each of lemon and orange zest, 3 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor, mixing until well combined.
  2. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is coarse. Add the eggs, 1 teaspoon of liqueur, and vanilla, then mix until the dough forms a ball.
  3. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. Dust a work surface with flour, then cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a "snake" about ¼-inch in diameter. Cut each segment of dough into ¼-inch pieces roll each one into a small ball.
  5. Toss the dough balls in ¼ cup of flour, then shake off the excess.
  6. Pour 1 cup of oil (or however much you need) into a deep, heavy-bottomed pan to come up about 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 F — make sure it stays at this temperature, not higher or lower.
  7. Add about ¼ of the dough balls to the oil and fry them until they're lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
  8. Remove the fried dough with a slotted spoon and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate.
  9. Repeat until all of the dough balls have been fried.
  10. Mix the honey, the remaining sugar, remaining liqueur, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice in a saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.
  11. Remove the paper towels from under the fried dough balls, then shake the plate so they're evenly distributed.
  12. Pour the syrup over the dough balls and toss so they're evenly coated.
  13. Spray the rim of a glass with non-stick cooking spray and place it in the center of a round serving platter, about 14 to 18 inches in diameter. Arrange the struffoli on the platter in a circular shape around the glass.
  14. Drizzle any remaining syrup over the top. Decorate the struffoli with colored sprinkles or powdered sugar, if desired.
  15. Let the struffoli rest for at least 1 hour (or up to a full day) before serving, then remove the glass from the center.