Family History through Recipes: STRUFOLI

 

Vital documents and genealogy records are not the only means of revealing family history. Grandparents often tell childhood stories while sitting around the holiday table. Write those down, or better yet, record them in their own voice. 

In addition, hand-me-down clothes, antique furniture, favorite toys, and various knick-knacks around the house ALL have a story to tell.

In our family, Christmas traditions abound. The Coleman family focused on decorations (always the Friday after Thanksgiving), Christmas carols, and favorite holiday movies. The Totoro family, not surprisingly, focused on the food.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I collected these well-worn recipes into a book, Italian Family Christmas, as a tribute to Cora, so her legacy will continue well beyond the next generation.

One of the most authentic recipes, and my husband's favorite, is STRUFOLI or Italian Honey Balls. I wrote about this Christmas Eve treat on another blog, and the Kansas City Star featured the recipe in last year's paper. I thought I might honor Cora one more time and repost here.

Enjoy!

Recipe card in Cora's own handwriting. 
What a treasure!

The Feast of Seven Fishes is typically a southern Italian custom, and most of the peasant-style dishes Cora prepared for the Christmas Eve Vigil find their roots in Neopolitan cuisine.

Strufoli, bite-sized balls of dough fried to a golden brown and drenched in honey, is no exception.

None of the family particularly enjoys Strufoli -- the mild flavor is almost boring. But they are my husband's favorite. So I willingly set aside three hours on Christmas Eve morning to prepare this dish. It is my way to honor his Italian ancestry and is a true labor of love.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3+ cups flour

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and half the flour.
2. Gradually add more flour until the dough is thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead for a minute or so... adding more flour as needed. Dough should be stiff and only slightly sticky.
4. From the dough cut small pieces (about the size of a dime) and hand roll into a long pencil-thin rope.
5. Cut rope into small 1/2 inch pieces. Place pieces on a paper plate. Keep pieces separate. 
6. Repeat the process until all dough is cut. Do not stack or crowd onto the plate. Several plates will be used.
7. In a large skillet, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
8. Bring oil to 250-300 degrees and fry dough balls in small batches. They should be a nice golden color.
9. Once a batch is complete -- remove dough from skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain in a colander lined with paper towels.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 (adding oil as necessary) until all the dough is fried.

Honey Sauce:

1. In a large saucepan, bring to boil 1 cup honey and 1/2 cup sugar.
2. Add dough balls and stir until thoroughly coated with honey mixture.
3. Turn balls onto a platter -- mound slightly.
4. Add colorful sprinkles over the top and sides.

In our household, Strufoli is traditionally served on Christmas Eve night along with a plate of assorted holiday cookies.

Should we have leftovers, Strufoli pairs well with a cup of hot tea. The extra honey from the Strufoli can be used as a sweetener for the tea.