Struffoli!!! Wait… did you just call me a swear word?

Now for those that have never heard of it, apparently it’s this Italian “Honey Ball” dessert that is only made once a year.  It took me a few years to get it right and do it without getting 2nd degree burns (long story) but I have managed to do so.  Now these ‘tings (channeling my inner Italian-ness) are really easy to mix up and require but a few ingredients.  What’s time consuming is the rolling out the dough to these long strands and then cutting them into 900 flippin bajillion balls! Then the deep frying in batches.  Next we have this super secret, the familia will ‘off’ you if you say how we get the honey to stick to the ball without pooling and then FINALLY the fun part… Nonpareils!

Yes, nonpareils!  They cannot EVER be sprinkles, jimmies, sugars, nuts, etc.  They must only EVER be nonpareils.  Apparently, according to Mr. Fantabulous, anything else will change the taste <insert major eye rolling here>. Um okay baby if you say so.

Even though I was super busy with orders yesterday I wanted to surprise him with this as he looooooooooooooooooooooooooves them.  I typically make 2-3lb trays of them for him in a 2-week time span and he will eat them all…BY HIMSELF… yes, 6 pounds of struffoli by himself!  Yet the man doesn’t gain an ounce!  Hate him!  LOL

So yesterday as he’s walking towards the kitchen I hear him sniff REAL loud and say “Hey honey, that smell!? It almost smells like Struf… OMG (he now has entered the kitchen and see swhat I’m making)… OMG OMG OMG STRUFFOLI!!! You’re making ME Struffoli!!!  I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!”   Seriously to see that smile of his and his beautiful eyes light up over something so simple is probably the biggest reason why I cook and bake.  To me, that type of reaction is truly priceless!

After he finished giggling like a 5 year old because he was so giddy he proceeds to say “Hey, please don’t burn yourself again like you did last year! That’s your baking hand!”  LOL

Side story here: last year I was making struffoli and the honey sauce wasn’t coming together right.  So I went to taste it and not thinking, I stuck my finger into the BOILING and BUBBLING hot honey mixture.  Yeah… genius move there Einstein huh! Needless to say I ended up with 2nd degree burns the day before Christmas and a scar to remind me of my ding dong move!

As I’m putting the billion nonpareils on the struffoli, and coincidentally all over my floors and counters as apparently they are made out of the same materials as super balls because they bounced EVERYWHERE!, he goes “Have I told you lately that I loved you the mostest?”

That, made my day 🙂