Struffoli: The Original Neapolitan Recipe

True protagonists of the Neapolitan Christmas tables, these sweets are delicious and can be made at home: here is the recipe!

3 Extra Fresh Large AIA Eggs

450 g of flour

90 g of butter

3 large tablespoons of sugar

30 ml of rum

Grated zest of lemon

Salt

Peanut oil

Acacia honey

Sprinkles

Dark chocolate

Description

Even if you are not originally from Naples, you may have seen or tasted these delicious sweets that appear during the Christmas holiday season. The original recipe for Neapolitan struffoli involves several steps, but it is quite simple to replicate. Struffoli are soft and small balls of sweet dough, which are then fried, passed in honey, and finally garnished with flakes of dark chocolate and sugared sprinkles.

Struffoli belong to the Neapolitan tradition (although they are known and replicated in other Italian regions) and are served as a dessert at the Christmas Eve dinner.

Here is the original recipe for Neapolitan struffoli!

6 Medium Yellow Pasta Eggs Raised on Land

Procedure

On a sufficiently spacious and possibly wooden work surface, sift the flour with the salt and add the eggs, the sugar and the butter cut into cubes. Also add the rum and the lemon zest. It's time to work the dough for a long time, with your hands, in order to obtain a smooth and soft dough that you will wrap in cling film and put to rest in the fridge for about an hour. After the necessary time, remove the dough from the fridge and remove the cling film.

Form a cylinder with your hands and, using a knife, cut out the struffoli: they are roughly the shape of homemade gnocchi. At this point, get a high-sided non-stick pan, pour about a liter of peanut oil and, when the oil is boiling, start frying. Place some struffoli on a skimmer and gently lay them in the oil: these will rest for a moment on the bottom and then rise to the surface in a short time. The struffoli cook in very little time, keep them under control to avoid them darkening too much.

After frying them, place the struffoli on a large flat plate, on which you will have placed some absorbent paper sheets that will collect the excess oil. Now slightly heat the honey in a saucepan and when it has melted pour it over the struffoli. Finally garnish the Neapolitan struffoli with flakes of dark chocolate and sugar sprinkles.

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