Struffoli: Neapolitan Honeyed Fried Dough Balls

Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Make a well in the center. Add the eggs, cooled melted butter, orange zest, and sambuca. Mix with a fork, then knead by hand for 2–3 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. It should be firm but pliable.

Wrap the dough and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not skip this — it relaxes the gluten so the balls roll easily and hold their shape.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a cylinder about 1 cm thick. Cut into 1 cm pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball between your palms. Spread them on a tray lined with kitchen paper and pat dry — surface moisture causes violent oil spatter.

Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot to 175–180°C. Use a probe thermometer; this temperature window is what separates crisp from greasy.

Fry in batches of 20–25 balls at a time, 2–3 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until uniformly golden. Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon onto paper towels. Bring the oil back to temperature between batches.

Once all the struffoli are fried, warm the honey in a large saucepan over low heat until fluid and hot, about 60–70°C. Remove from the heat.

Tip all the struffoli into the warm honey and toss gently with a spatula to coat every piece. Work quickly — once the honey cools it stiffens.

Pile the coated struffoli onto a serving plate in a dome or wreath shape while they are still pliable. Scatter the nonpareils and candied citron peel over the top.

Let the honey set for 10–15 minutes before serving. Pull apart at the table — the honey-set clusters come off in small, crunchy, sticky handfuls.