Struffoli Cups

Name: Struffoli Cups
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12

45 MINPrep Time

20 MINCook Time

12 cupsServings

by Giada

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Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

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Struffoli is a classic Christmas dessert from Naples, and it’s tradition for my family to get together every December to make it. Every region in Italy has some version of this dessert, and it goes by many names: pignolata, cicerchiata… but in my family, it’s Struffoli!

Typically, we’ll make the traditional recipe in either a big mound or a wreath-shape, but I love how bakeries in Italy serve it in individual little cups like this. It makes it a more accessible dessert to serve to a crowd - it’s a cute little personal size so each person can have their own.

I won’t lie, rolling out the little balls of dough is a time-consuming task–so either grab a buddy or put on your favorite podcast, because it’s worth every minute it takes.

Struffoli Cups

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

For The Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
2 teaspoons orange zest (from ½ large orange)
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon white wine (such as pinot grigio)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Canola oil (for frying)

For The Assembly:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup honey

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½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup hazelnuts

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Sprinkles or powdered sugar, for decorating

Instructions

Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Lightly spritz with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.
For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor or stand-mixer, pulse together the flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a clean work surface, roll out each piece of dough until ¼ inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into ½-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into ½-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball about the size of a hazelnut.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375°F. You can test the temperature by throwing in one small piece of dough: it should turn lightly golden brown in about 2 minutes. Once the oil is at temperature, in batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough balls to a paper towel-lined plate or small sheet pan to drain.
To assemble: In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and hazelnuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture.
While the mixture is still hot, carefully add the mixture to the prepared muffin cups and evenly divide it among them. The longer it sits, the thicker the syrup gets and becomes trickier to work with. Top with sprinkles or powdered sugar. Allow to cool for at least 45 minutes before serving. If preparing ahead of time, store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.