When it comes to Italian food I've never ventured outside of spaghetti and lasagna. So I searched for Italian desserts to try and came across struffoli. Struffoli is a deep fried dough that is covered with a sugar honey mixture. I was intrigued, and ideas came flooding because this is such a great food to add to any party, and you can add things to make it for any occasion and you can use a variety of flavors or colored sprinkles. For my Instructable I will give you the recipe for the dough and then tell you what I did to make my personalized struffoli. I made traditional, cinnamon, peanut butter chocolate honey, stuffed caramel apple, stuffed smores, and stuffed turtle.

Step 1: Gather Ingredients for Dough

This recipe makes enough struffoli to fill four 8x8 pans

6 Eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks of butter room temp
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
vegetable oil for frying
Deep fryer
Brown paper bag or paper towel for drying

Ingredients for the toppings and stuffing
(depending on which ones you decide to make)

Step 2: Making Dough

1. Whisk eggs very well. Beat sugar into eggs.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Rub butter into the flour with your hands.
4. Add vanilla to the sugar/egg mixture.
5. Put mixture into a mixer and mix (using dough hook) and slowly add the flour/butter mixture.
6. Let dough rest in a cool dry place for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Prep for Frying

Divide dough into 4 pieces.
Roll each piece out like a rope about the width of your index finger and 12 inches long.
( If you are making stuffed struffoli then see steps 8,9, and 10 before continuing on and frying)
Cut into 1 inch pieces.
Toss the pieces with enough flour to dust.
Shake off excess flour.

Step 4: Frying Time

In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees.
Fry a few struffoli at a time until puffed and golden brown.
Drain on a brown paper bag or paper towel.
After you have cooked up your struffoli decide if you want to make them all the same or have a variety.
If making a variety separate them into different bowls now.

Step 5: Traditional

In the following steps I will give instructions to make the different struffoli.
Each step includes what you need for 1/4 of the recipe of dough.
So each step will make one 8x8 pan of struffoli.

What you need:
1 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup sugar

In large sauce pan, add sugar, honey. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Keep warm over low heat. Add the fried struffoli and turn until all sides are covered. Transfer to a plate, molding them into a pyramid shape, shaping with wet hands. Sprinkle with your choice of sprinkles. Let set 1 to 2 hours.

Step 6: Peanut Butter Chocolate

What you need:
1 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
Chocolate Sprinkles

In large sauce pan, add peanut butter, honey. Heat until it is dissolved. Keep warm over low heat. Add the fried struffoli and turn until all sides are covered. Transfer to a plate, molding them into a pyramid shape, shaping with wet hands. Sprinkle with your choice of chocolate sprinkles. Let set 1 to 2 hours.

Step 7: Cinnamon Sugar

What You Need:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. While your struffoli are drying from frying sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture over the top of them to coat.

Step 8: Caramel Apple

In the following steps I will give instructions on how to make stuffed struffoli.
Once you have your dough separated into the 4 pieces then you will roll it out flat and cut it into 1/2 inch squares.

What You Need:
Sliced apples or apple pie filling
Caramel sauce to coat

Cut your apples into tiny pieces.Place onto the square and then fold up the edges and roll into ball. Make sure to get the edges smashed together or it will pop open during frying. Fry struffoli and let dry. Put struffoli into caramel sauce and coat.

Step 9: Smores

What You Need:
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate Sauce

Cut your marshmallow and graham crackers into tiny pieces. Place onto the square and then fold up the edges and roll into ball. Make sure to get the edges smashed together or it will pop open during frying. Fry struffoli and let dry. Put struffoli into chocolate sauce and coat.

Step 10: Turtle

What You Need:
Chocolate Bits or chips
Walnuts or Sliced Almonds
Caramel Sauce

Cut your nuts and chocolate into tiny pieces. Place onto the square and then fold up the edges and roll into ball. Make sure to get the edges smashed together or it will pop open during frying. Fry struffoli and let dry. Put struffoli into caramel sauce and coat.

Hope you enjoyed this Instructable and happy struffoli stuffing and making!!!!