Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 packet vanilla powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (slightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- Corn oil for deep frying (about 2 cups)
- Honey (about 1 cup)
- Sprinkles
- Strips of orange zest
Instructions
- Mix the flour, vanilla powder, salt and sugar together and form into a well on a work surface.
- To the center of the well, add the eggs, brandy, grated orange zest and oil. Blend the wet ingredients well with fingers.
- Begin working the dry ingredients into the wet and continue until a dough forms.
- Lightly knead the dough (about 5 minutes) until it is uniform.
- Let the dough rest for covered in plastic wrap for about an hour.
- Working with a small piece of dough at a time (golf ball size), roll it out into 1/2″ diameter logs. With a pastry blade, cut the logs into 1/2″ pieces.
- Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- Gently lower the cut pieces of dough into the oil. Keep moving them around in the oil so they cook on all sides.
- Allow them to turn golden brown all over then remove them from the oil with a slotted spatula and let them drain on a paper-towel lined pan.
- Continue rolling, cutting, and frying the remainder of the dough (keep the unrolled dough covered in plastic wrap).
- When all the dough has been rolled, cut and fried, clean the oil out of the pan and pour the honey in. Let the honey get heated through to a thinner consistency (do not let it burn). Place all the struffoli into the honey and stir until they are completely coated. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Arrange the honey coated struffoli on a serving dish. Decorate with coloured sprinkles and thin strips of orange zest.
Notes
- Test the oil with a piece of dough. It should bubble or sizzle as soon as the dough hits the oil.
- The pieces expand to approximately double in size as they cook.
