A plate of these sweet bites on the coffee table means only one thing: Christmas week has arrived. I have modified my original recipe to make a softer, wetter dough, which makes these a little less crisp, but the dough is a lot easier to work with.

　　

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　5 large eggs

　　1 large egg yolk

　　Grated zest of 2 lemons

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　Grated zest of 1 orange

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon limoncello or grand Marnier

　　4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, for deep-frying

　　2 cups honey

　　Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

　　

Step 1

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, eggs, yolk, half the lemon zest, the orange zest, salt, and limoncello. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix well, then knead into a firm dough, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

2. Cut the dough into golf ball-sized pieces. One at a time, roll each one into a 1/2-inch-thick rope, and cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Place in a floured tray.

　　

Step 3

3. In a large deep pot, heat the oil to 375°F. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the balls until dark golden brown, using a slotted spoon to turn them often; they will puff up while cooking. As they finish, transfer them to a tray lined with paper towels, to drain.

　　

Step 4

4. When all of the struffoli are cooked, combine the honey, lemon juice, and the remaining lemon zest in a wide 6-to 8-quart pot until quite warm (about 150°F) and substantially thinner. Add the struffoli and stir carefully until well coated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pot, stirring frequently.

　　

Step 5

5. Pour out the stroffoli onto a large serving tray in the form of a pyramid or a ring. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.

　　From Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home © 2005 by Mario Batali. Reprinted with permission from Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Buy the full book from Amazon.