So, my family is from Naples. Every year, the women in my family would make these for Christmas time. I can easily find good recipes for the balls themselves. The issue herein lies the syrup. My grandmother would boil hers down with lemon peel and sugar. Her syrup would always cling so well to the balls. (lol) it wouldn’t all sink like mine always does. Every recipe I’ve read only calls for heating the honey which results in thin syrup. (Including recipes from Italy) does anyone else’s family cook it? And how long? Please help, the women who made these have passed and my sister and mother don’t make them. I’d really like to figure this out! Thanks!
by BeanTownDown
9 Comments
I use a little sugar and a tiny bit of whichever citrus peel I feel like at the moment… really just until it makes a solution and the sugar is dissolved thoroughly. I didn’t see you mention honey here… it’s mostly honey.
My guess at what’s happening is that there is too much water content in your syrup. Cooking it longer should evaporate out more water, making it more viscous.
So if you’re using honey, you will have to vary how long you cook it depending on the water content of the honey. Some recipes also call for adding Sugar TO the honey.
What do you mean by your syrup “sinking”? You mean it is still pretty liquid and drips off the balls?
I would suggest you look at videos rather than just recipes:
[https://youtu.be/mnXOYmSemFM](https://youtu.be/mnXOYmSemFM)
Signed,
~ The one guy in his family trying to preserve all of the old family Italian recipes no one bothered to write down and the younger generation weren’t interested in learning
I make mine in ribbons, not balls. The syrup is 2 cups of honey with one tablespoon of sugar dissolved in it. Add the struffoli to the syrup in batches, stir to coat then pile onto plates. The syrup then hardens up nicely as it cools, holding the ribbons in place.
It may also depend on the kind of honey you’re using.
My aunts recipe just used honey. This is where honey from a small producer pays out better, often thicker, and tastes better. Too many issues with bulk no name store honey being fake. Yes the honey settles. You need to flip the container to allow it to recover and coat. Not an item to be made the day before you plan to serve it.
My father taught me to make struffoli. He used honey. No sugar. The balls would cling together. No sinking.
If your honey is too runny you need to heat your honey for a longer period of time to get more moisture to evaporate.
It could also be the honey you are using. Not all products labelled honey are 100% honey. Some have syrups that contain more water.
My mother’s family is from Campagna and they brought the struffoli tradition with them to Australia. We’ve always used boiled honey instead of a syrup. The longer you boil the honey, the harder it sets. Traditionally, we decorate the top with sugared almonds saved from special occasions (weddings, christenings) that we’ve celebrated during the year.
BTW, does everyone else cut a piece and then eat the individual balls with their fingers, or are we just uncouth? My Anglo-Australian husband copped a good-natured ribbing the first time he was offered struffoli and tried to eat it politely with a fork and spoon.
Awww my late grandma used to make it every year now her daughter, my Aunt makes it and sends me a little struffoli care package every Christmas
My Nonna would make these and some chocolate and chesnut paste things too. But my favourite will always be Zeppo’s straight out the frying pan. Would love to try to recreate the memory if anyone has a recipe? Btw, she would also make Zucatta ( I think it was called) a Lillie like cassata with panettone and ice cream.