Struffoli (Cicerchiata) An Authentic Italian Recipe
Struffoli are a honey-coated, traditional Italian Christmas treat. Little balls of pastry are deep fried, and coated in honey; simply delicious! Try this authentic Italian recipe from my Nonna.
Originally published December 24, 2013.
Struffoli are a must-make at Christmas in many Italian homes.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You may recall the cioffe I made earlier this year: Italian deep fried bows of lightly sweetened pastry?
What is Struffoli?
Struffoli or cicerchiata (referring to the fact that they look like little ceci beans) uses the exact same dough. However, instead of rolling out the pastry thinly and shaping into bows, little tiny balls are formed when the pieces of dough are fried. These little puff balls of dough are then coated in sweet honey for a finger-licking and slightly addictive treat! Actually, the question above should be “what are struffoli?” because it’s plural. Struffolo is singular.
Here’s my Nonna Chiarina’s easy struffoli recipe, or “cicerchiata” (CHEE-cherr-KEY-ahta) recipe which is another name for the same treat.
If you leave this platter in an accessible area, you will think it has a magical disappearing quality!
Serving Struffoli
What is a serving of struffoli? Does anyone even know? I would say half a cupful would be a proper amount per serving, but has it ever happened? I don’t think anyone really knows!
Struffoli Recipe
A traditional Italian recipe. This will make two large open rings of small balls of dough.
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients~
- eggs
- sugar
- salt
- whisky or clear liqueur
- flour
- honey
- colored sprinkles, dragées
Using a mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl.
Mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and whisk well).
Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix again. I love my Danish whisk!
Next, add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about half an hour.
Remove from fridge and cut dough in half, and keep one half covered. Now, depending on how large you want your little balls to be, follow the directions below:
Small Balls of Struffoli
Cut the half piece of dough in two, and roll them out to about ¼” thickness. Slice into long strips, then cut into tiny pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Larger Balls of Struffoli
Cut a piece of dough from half of the batch and roll it into a long rope to about the thickness of a Sharpie, or between a Sharpie and a pencil.
Then cut into small pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Using a cake lifter, gently and carefully drop the balls into hot oil.
Deep fry these little guys (in small batches), which will puff up into small balls of pastry which look like ceci, or garbanzo beans.
When they turn a little brown, remove from the hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
When all of the dough is fried, mix with some warm honey. Either add the struffoli to the honey in the pot, or pour warm honey over the warm struffoli in a bowl.
Shape into a wreath, fill a bowl, or place on a plate in a mound.
If making a wreath or ring, just keep piling on the balls and don’t worry about the shape. Once the ring cools, you can fix the form to your liking.
Finally, sprinkle with edible Christmas or multi-colored sugar decorations, and/or silver dragees.
Allow to cool completely. The cicerchiata ring will become more firm when cool. If you want an easier and quicker serving method, just use a festive bowl or plate to fill.
I hope you enjoy this struffoli recipe as much as my others!
How Long do Struffoli Last?
Struffoli are good for at least four days, but I doubt you will have this issue. They never last more than two days in my house! They’re quite addictive!
Storing Struffoli
There’s no need to refrigerate struffoli. Just keep them covered at room temperature.
Can I Freeze Struffoli?
If you want to freeze struffoli, do so before adding the honey, however, for best results, serve them fresh and as soon as they’re ready.
Struffoli: a Honey Sweetened Italian Christmas Treat
A traditional Italian fried dough treat, coated in honey.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (57 g) sugar
- 1 oz (30 ml) Scotch whisky (or any similar, clear liquor)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 12 oz (340 g) plain/all purpose flour
- 8 oz (227 g) warm honey (preferably raw) use more or less to your liking
- colored sprinkles or dragées
Instructions
- Using a mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl. Mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and whisk well).
- Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix again. I love my Danish whisk!
- Next, add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms. With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about half an hour.
- Remove from fridge and cut dough in half, and keep one half covered. Now, depending on how large you want your little balls to be, follow the directions below:
- Small Balls of Struffoli: cut the half piece of dough in two, and roll them out to about ¼" thickness. Slice into long strips, then cut into tiny pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough
- Larger Balls of Struffoli: cut a piece of dough from half of the batch and roll it into a long rope to about the thickness of a Sharpie, or between a Sharpie and a pencil. Cut into small pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Using a cake lifter, gently and carefully drop the balls into hot oil. Deep fry these little guys (in small batches), which will puff up into small balls of pastry which look like ceci, or garbanzo beans.
- When they turn a little brown, remove from the hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- When all of the dough is fried, mix with some warm honey. Either add the struffoli to the honey in the pot, or pour warm honey over the warm struffoli in a bowl. Shape into a wreath, fill a bowl, or place on a plate in a mound.
- Finally, sprinkle with edible Christmas colored decorations, and/or silver dragees.
Notes
If making a wreath or ring, just keep piling on the balls and don't worry about the shape. Once the ring cools, you can fix the form to your liking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 2 TbspAmount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
MERRY CHRISTMAS from my cucina to yours!
Don’t miss another recipe or travel post; sign up for my free subscription below!
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Aside from being sweet, these look identical to the fried dough my family makes for soup. My momma called the “niochitti” but I have spelled them “gnichite”. When she used to make them, I fondly remember the flour mixed with a dish of salt and a teaspoon of baking powder being measured out and forming a circle on the big butcher block kitchen table. She would have the eggs in the centre, and would begin to fold it all in and incorporating everything until the ball was formed. Then she would kneed it until it was super smooth. She’d let it rest for a half hour before rolling it out as if she were going to make fettuccine (she would do everything by hand until we bought her a pasta machine). She’d cut the rolled out dough into long strips and then again into little squares. Then she’d deep fry them a handful at a time, letting them dry on paper towel afterwards. They’d go into the freezer and she would ration a handful in our soup bowls at Easter and Christmas before pouring hot, homemade turkey or chicken broth and sprinkling with some fresh grated Romano! Just wondering if you have heard of these? She said that I. Other parts of Italy they are called “chi-chi”….
Fried dough soaked in warm honey…Can it get any better?? This seems like a typical So. Italian dessert. But my Calabrese nonna never made it, strangely. I will have to try it. My homemade Cannoli turned out perfectly thanks to your great recipe!
I know, right? Sorry I missed this!!
Hi Christina,thanks you for your page just to let you know your the first person to say that the honey glacé will go firm after resting .which comes to my problem .cause when my mother use to make struffoli we call CICERCHIATA. Mum was from Vasto Italy.the honey balls would go real hard and firm .it was hard to slice but it tasted amazing./So what am I doing wrong with the honey glacé that it want firm up go hard after resting over night.PleasePlease help.
Hi Mary, yes our family calls them cicerchiate also. The only thing I can think of is that maybe your honey is a “faux” honey, in that it could be mostly corn syrup. There is a huge market for making fake honey and they label it as pure honey so we don’t know. Did you buy it locally or from a source you trust? Where do you live?
We used to get a similar dessert at the annual spaghetti dinner held at St. Anthony’s in Bryan, TX, but they were shaped like upside down cones and we called them haystacks. I don’t recall if I ever knew the Sicilian name for them. Whatever they’re called, though, they’re delicious! By the way, are you familiar with cuccidati? My great aunt made them with figs year round, and with apricots at Christmas. I’ve got her recipe for the dough, but never got the recipe for the fig filling. I remember she used an old metal meat grinder (the kind that clamps on the edge of a table or counter, and has a hand crank) for the figs, and I seem to recall orange juice being in there, too. Ah, memories!
Hi Ann, I have never heard of cuccidati but just googled them and there’s LOADS of recipes! I’m sure you can find one using similar ingredients to your Nonna’s (I saw one recipe used a food processor, instead of the meat grinder. Hope you are able to recreate them one day, it’s always lovely to do that. Thanks for popping by!! CC
Cuccidati are one of my favorite holiday treats! You really must try them!
Christina I cannot believe that you had the recipe for the Cicerchiata my grandmother always made that cookie and now that she’s gone no one has the recipe could you please send me the recipe expecially for the honey part thank you Luci Casale
I’m sorry, Luci, but I’m a bit confused. You are commenting on the recipe for cicerchiata. I don’t know how to help?
I mad then last year but they didn’t stick together I was wondering if I did something wrong with the honey can you tell me how much honey and how long to cook the honey
It’s not important how much honey you use, Luci, and you don’t cook it, just warm it up. Please buy good quality honey as cheap “honey” is usually flavored corn syrup. That may be why they didn’t stick together. Good luck!
I will try that thank u
How and long can u store the cookie
Hi Lucille, probably two days maximum in a covered container.
My mother used to make these and shaped them into small Christmas trees. Our church made them for the St. Joseph’s table in March.
Missed this comment, Marie! Sorry! That would be lovely shaped into trees for Christmas! So there will be lots made next week, then! :)
Sounds great! Do you know if this would be the same recipe used for making sfinge? My father used to have sfinge on holidays when he was a child so I’d love to make it for him can’t find a recipe. Thanks!
Hi Katie, here’s the thing, in Italy there are so many names for different dishes and they can be the same name, but mean different dishes in different areas. So the problem is that what your father’s sfinge were, could be something different to someone else’s sfinge. Can you get a description from him?