Italian Honey Clusters
My mother made these treats, known as struffoli in Italian, for neighbors, teachers and anyone who stopped by. This is an Easter, Christmas and special-occasion classic, and many call them cookies even though these are honey-coated bits of deep-fried dough. —Sarah Knoblock, Hyde Park, Indiana
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup 2% milk
- Oil for deep-fat frying
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- Nonpareils, optional
Directions
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1Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, aniseed and salt. Stir in eggs and milk. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Shape into a disk; wrap and let stand 1 hour.
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2Divide dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion into 1/2-in.-thick ropes; cut crosswise into 1/2-in. pieces. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 350°. Fry pieces, a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place dough pieces in a large heatproof bowl and keep warm in a 200° oven.
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3In a large heavy saucepan, combine honey and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and drizzle over dough pieces. Stir to coat. Immediately spoon into prepared cups. Sprinkle with pine nuts and, if desired, nonpareils.
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