Nonna Elda Cooks

Happy Christmas to all of Nonna Elda’s internet bambini! We have been so blessed this year, Nonna had cataract surgery and she is recovering. The garden had plenty of chilis. Now Nonna is preparing the fish for this year’s feast for Christmas eve You can get a copy of Nonna’s Christmas Eve recipes in her Feast of the seven fishes cookbook here https://www.amazon.ca/Nonna-Cooks-Italian-Christmas-Fishes/dp/B0BNH633FM

As a small gift for all of you I’ve made a free downloadable recipe card for Nonna Elda’s Struffoli recipe. There are very few ingredients, it feeds an enormous crowd, and it’s not very hard to make. You probably have all the ingredients to make it right now.

It looks charming and impressive on a platter so it’s perfect to bring to a party this weekend!

Struffoli is a Christmas but also a classic Italian Carnivale recipe enjoyed in different ways in different regions of Italy. Nonna is Ciociaria so her struffoli is a little smaller but you can make the balls as big or small as you like! 

Nonna Elda Cooks

Struffoli

servings: 10 prepping time: 2 hours Cook time: 10 min approximately

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup milk
• 0,5 cup canola oil
• orange zest from one large orange
• 1 bsp baking powder
• all purpose flour add until it’s not sticky and can be rolled out, dough should be soft to the touch. (at least 4 cups)
• semolina
• canola oil for deep frying

Glaze

• 3 cups honey
• sprinkles

Tools

• rolling pin
• cup to build the pyramid around,
• A deep frying pan to deep fry
• a fresh cork (optional) to keep the deep fry foam down.

Directions

• Mix eggs,, milk, oil, sugar, orange zest.
• Add flour until the dough is not sticky but still soft then knead

for at least ten minutes like when making pasta.

• Cover with bowl and let sit for half hour to an hour.
• Dust with semolina, and roll out.
• cut long strips about one inch long
• roll the strips, then cut little squares to the size you like.
• Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown, you can add a clean cork to the oil to prevent the foam from bubbling over.
• In a very large pot, boil honey,
• When the honey is simmering add your struffoli and mix until they are all coated.
• With a paper towel, rub your serving plate with canola oil, and a glass to put in the middle of the plate as well.
• Pile your struffoli around the glass, then add sprinkles.
• When it is hardened you can remove the glass.
• Keeps for a few days.
• Nonna’s tips: Throw a clean cork into the deep frying oil to keep the foam from boiling over, this works for all sugary recipes that are deep fried.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

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