A Holiday Dessert Worth Celebrating: Neapolitan Struffoli

Panettone often holds the spotlight among classic Italian holiday sweets. It is loved throughout Italy, but most Italians don't make it at home because it is so labor-intensive. They buy it from a local bakery or an artisan brand. Time to put a homemade favorite in the spotlight: the Campanian sweet called struffoli.

What struffoli are

Tiny balls of dough are deep-fried until crunchy, then soaked in honey and topped with festive sprinkles or candied fruit. Depending on the family tradition, they are piled high into a wreath or a mountain of sticky-sweet delight.

The humble dessert

Struffoli is easy to overlook, even for people who grew up with it on the holiday table. Adults tell little ones to make sure they have one, so there isn't too much left over. Drizzled with honey and sprinkles, the bites still aren't as sweet or eye-catching as fancy cakes and cookies, and kids can write them off as an "adult dessert."

But this humble sweet can feel like the family member who made it: loved as a staple, expected to always be there and often fully appreciated only when older. The family recipe passes from generation to generation and settles into muscle memory after decades of making the same dish, each generation trying to match the standard of the last.

Kitchens fill with laughter, singing and memories during the rhythmic task of cutting each piece by hand. New memories can start here too, like shaping pasta such as orecchiette to see if anyone notices, or trying struffoli fresh out of the fryer, before the honey and sprinkles.

Luck, abundance and family

Struffoli is thought to bring good luck and to represent prosperity and abundance. The connection is easy to see: mixing the annual batch means pounds and pounds of struffoli to give to loved ones, often wrapped with a bow. Each piece is formed by hand, and each bite shows someone they are loved.

Struffoli may not be the most widely known Italian holiday dessert, but a legacy handed down through family trees says enough about its importance. It is a way for family to reconnect, a rite of passage and a way to remember loved ones who have passed. Like everything around the holidays, it has its own magic in every crunchy, honey-coated bite.

Struffoli recipe

From the cookbook All About Dolci. Difficulty: easy. Serves 6. Preparation time: 120 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups (400 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2/3 cup (130 grams) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Olive oil, for frying
• 1 1/2 cups (510 grams) honey
• 2/3 cup (130 grams) sugar, for the syrup
• 2/3 cup (100 grams) nonpareil sprinkles
• 2 tbsp (30 grams) diced candied citron
• 3–4 (30 grams) candied orange slices, halved

Steps

1. Combine the flour and 2/3 cup (130 grams) sugar and form into a well on the work surface. Add the eggs, yolks, butter and salt to the center. Beat the eggs together and gradually draw in flour from the sides of the well until you have a crumbly dough. Knead until well combined, form into a ball and let rest, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Lightly flour the work surface. Pull off small bits of dough and roll them into cylinders about the width of a piece of chalk. Cut these into lengths slightly larger than chickpeas.
3. Line two baking sheets with paper towels and set aside. Fill a high-walled pot with 1 inch of olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the pieces of dough until golden, working in batches if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on the paper towels.
4. In a saucepan large enough to hold all of the fried dough, combine the honey, sugar and 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) water. Cook over low heat until it forms a dark golden syrup. Turn off the heat, leaving the pan on the burner, and add the fried dough. Stir well to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and shape into a cone, by hand or with a wooden spoon. Scatter on the sprinkles, candied citron and orange slices. Serve at room temperature.