Fried Sweet Dough Balls With Honey Recipes

FRIED SWEET CHEESE RAVIOLI WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Mix all cheeses and lemon peel in large bowl; set cheese mixture aside.
• Lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Mix bread flour and salt in another large bowl; mix in beaten eggs. Using fingertips, rub in butter a few pieces at a time until well blended. Add 1/2 cup water; stir to blend, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Knead in bowl until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured surface to scant 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter or biscuit cutter and using sharp knife as aid, cut out rounds. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Transfer half of dough rounds to prepared baking sheets. Place 2 level tablespoons cheese mixture in center of each dough round on baking sheets. Brush edges of dough rounds lightly with water. Cover with remaining dough rounds, pressing firmly on edges to adhere and seal.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Pour enough oil into heavy large pot to reach depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350°F. Add 3 to 4 ravioli at a time to hot oil in pot and deep-fry until golden, turning once, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place ravioli on baking sheets and keep warm in oven while frying remaining ravioli. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool; cover and refrigerate. Place on baking sheets and rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through and cheese melts, about 10 minutes.) Place ravioli on platter. Drizzle with honey and serve hot.

STRUFFOLI O CICERCHIATA (ITALIAN HONEY DOUGH BALLS)

Steps:

• Mix flour, eggs, butter, sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest, rum extract, and salt together in a large bowl to create a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough into a thin log the width of your pinky finger, about 1/4 inch. Cut log into small pieces; roll into balls. Dust with flour to prevent from sticking.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan. Place a few balls of dough in a sieve to shake off excess flour. Cook in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.
• Pour honey into a saucepan over low heat. Cook until a small amount of honey dropped into cold water forms a soft ball. Add fried balls of dough to the hot honey; stir gently with a wooden spoon until coated.
• Rinse a serving plate and shake off the water. Pile dough balls onto the serving plate in the shape of a dome or ring using damp hands or a damp wooden spoon. Garnish with sugar sprinkles. Let cool completely.

FRIED SWEET DOUGH BALLS WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Pulse together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the food processor with the motor running, and then drop in the butter pieces. Process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. Knead the dough on the counter a few times, then wrap in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Make the syrup: Combine the honey, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup water in a medium skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until syrupy, about 6 to 7 minutes.
• In the meantime, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a pot or straight-sided skillet to about 365 degrees F, or until a piece of dough sizzles on contact. Pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough, and roll into a rope about 1/2 inch wide. Cut the rope of dough into pieces the size of a hazelnut and roll into balls. Repeat until all the dough is used.
• Fry the struffoli in batches until puffed and deep golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining struffoli.
• Toss the struffoli in the hot honey syrup, in batches, as many at a time as you can fit without crowding. Roll the struffoli in the syrup until well coated, then scoop them up with a slotted spoon or strainer, and drain off the excess syrup. Stack the struffoli in layers on a plate to form a cone, sprinkling each layer with the sprinkles as you stack. Repeat until all the struffoli are coated in the honey syrup and covered in sprinkles. Drizzle the completed stack of struffoli with any remaining syrup, if you wish.