Struffoli

*Recipe follows story

Of honey…

Which can only be the great Neopolitan holiday treat of the Struffoli.

Struffoli are little balls of flavorfully deep fried dough that are honeyed, sprinkled with toasted almonds, and then topped with non-paerils.

Struffoli are something a diligent baker can can be proud of.
Struffoli take patience to make, patience I don’t have.

Patience to make a sticky dough with one too many ingredients.  
Patience to roll out lengthy snakes of dough.
Patience to then cut the lengthy snakes of dough into tiny, even pieces.

When I was a tiny Tina, and I would assist in the making of the Struffoli, my mom would yell at me if I was cutting into the strips of dough haphazardly.  My pieces were always inconsistent, which meant frying time would differ.  My mom hated nothing more than one ball being bigger or browner than another (hehehe). 

My mom and dad are a dynamic Struffoli duo, and they put me to shame in the fried dough department.

My grandmother lives in every holiday plate of Struffoli.  I’d like to think she lives in every ball (hehehe).  My grandmother lived to scrape the tasty treats off of a giant, gooey, overly honeyed plate.  My grandmother would spoon them into everyone’s champagne glass at midnight, every New Years Eve, like it was a religious practice. The scooping of the Struffoli at midnight.  

One New Years Eve I fell asleep on the couch, before the bells rang. I remember lying on the couch, in the basement of our house in Brooklyn, and I was wearing a maroon corduroy skirt and a very fashionable white cotton long sleeved turtleneck.  My grandma woke me up with a kiss. I was greeted with the tiniest bit of champagne and, of course, Struffoli.

I loved watching the little balls of sweet fried dough sink to the bottom of my mini glass of champagne.  The slight sound of popping and fizz made me smile.  I used to watch the non-paerils separate from the honeyed balls.  I would gulp and smile and beg my parents to let me stay up until Dick Clarks Rockin’ Eve was officially over.  

This year, I feel asleep before the bells rang.
My dad did too.
And, like a well trained dog, my dad woke up and said: but what about the champagne and Struffoli?

We didn’t ring in the new year with champagne and Struffoli.  The first for my dad in a while.  I understood his sadness.  I understood what he took to heart to be the great loss of tradition.

My mom sent me back to New York with an entire plate to call my own, and me and the ladies (and Ross) have been in cracked out snack mode at the office.  Tonight I was feeling stressed.  Tonight I was overwhelmed.  

I was sitting at my desk, and I glanced to the left…  
There they were, teaming with comfort and sweet joy.  
Every tasty bite was like getting a hug from my grandma.
I made a tea, ate Struffoli, finished my writing, and cleared my mind.

Struffoli

4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
4 T. white sugar
4 T. corn oil
1 T. distilled white vinegar
3 T. rye whiskey or bourbon
1 T. vanilla
2 c. pre-sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Corn or vegetable oil
1 c. honey + 1/4 c. white sugar
2/3 c. toasted almonds
Non-paerils for decoration

-Beat together  yolks, whites and sugar
-Beat in corn oil, vinegar, whiskey/bourbon, and vanilla
-Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix to a soft dough
-Cut dough into strips, rolling into strings that are about 1/4 of an inch thick
-Cut into the strip - making pieces that are about 1/4 of an inch thick
*repeat making strips and cutting until you’ve used all dough 
-Pour oil into a deep frying pan (we used to use a wok, now my parents are high class so they use a deep fryer) - enough to coat the pan and deep fry the dough
-Once the oil is heated, transfer little balls into the oil and fry until they are light brown
-Once balls are browned, remove and place them on paper towels, so oil absorbs
*repeat frying process until all dough is fried
-Heat honey and sugar in a large pot, over a medium flame, when honey starts to boil/bubble, remove from heat and add in fried balls of dough
-Toss little balls and coat in honey, adding in almonds and continuing to toss to coat
-Transfer honeyed balls on to large plate and let set in a giant mound, topping with sprinkles