Ugly sweater parties, holiday gift exchange and secret santa celebrations are around the corner. Don’t show-up to the party empty-handed! Instead try this traditional Struffoli (Honey Ball) from mysequinedlife.com. It's sure to stand-out and be a sweet addition to any holiday dessert table. These Honey covered fried balls of sweet dough have long been a part of Christmas tradition in many Italian homes.Now, you can make it apart of yours! 

Struffoli Honey Ball 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided

• 16 oz oil for frying*

• 3/4 cup honey

• Nonpareils for sprinkling

Directions

1. Lightly beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, lemon peel, vanilla extract, salt, and 1 cup of the flour and stir until combined.

2. Flour a work surface and turn out dough onto it. Knead in remaining 1/4 cup of flour. The dough should only be mildly sticky - not too much. If it's too sticky to handle, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

3. Using a paring knife, cut dough into 10 equally-sized sections. Roll each section into a long, thin cylinder about 1/2"-thick, and slice them into approximately 1/2"-wide pieces.

4. Add oil to a pot with tall sides (about 3-qt. capacity) and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Once oil reaches 375°F, add about one-third of the dough balls and allow them to fry for a few minutes, until they turn golden-brown. Remove the struffoli from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

5. Continue with the remaining two batches, placing a layer or two of paper towels between batches. Let struffoli cool, and then place them in a bowl.

6. Heat honey in a small saucepan until it's warmed and easily pourable. Pour warmed honey over top of the struffoli and stir to evenly coat.

7. Arrange struffoli on a plate in a big mound and sprinkle nonpareils over top. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Total time: 35 minutes  

Recipe & Photo: @mysequinedlife