Italian Holiday Cookie Recipes - Strufalla

Delight friends and family with traditional Italian Holiday Cookie Recipes. This fried cookie tree is and Italian tradition that consists of pieces of egg-rich dough, scented with lemon, are quickly fried then drenched in hot honey.

The pieces are mounded onto a plate in the shape of a holiday tree, then showered with colorful candy sprinkles.

The presentation is truly unique, fun for kids and grown-ups alike.

The honey actually preserves the fried cookies for days, but that probably will not be a worry - these cookies will not last that long!

Italian Holiday Cookie Recipes - Strufalla

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Solid shortening, such as Crisco or canola oil
1 cup honey
1/2 cup candy sprinkles

Combine the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously, then add 2 cups of the flour. Stir until the dough is well blended.

Flour a work surface with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead in the remaining flour. The dough should be soft.

With a sharp knife, or scissors, cut the dough into 20 pieces. Roll out each piece until it looks like a pencil. Cut each pencil shape in half, and let the dough sit while the oil heats.

Heat the shortening oil in a skillet, saucepan or electric deep fat fryer. Use and instant read thermometer if not using the electric fryer to heat the oil to 350F.

Have some folded paper towels ready. Drop a few pieces of dough into the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough until all the cookies are fried and drained.

Heat the honey in a small saucepan until it is almost boiling. Put all the fried cookies in a large mixing bowl and pour the hot honey over them. Stir the cookies around in the honey until they are all well coated.

Start removing the cookies from the honey with a slotted spoon and build a tree on a wide platter or serving tray. Mound the pieces upwards, making it narrower until you use up all the fried cookies.

If any honey is remaining in the bowl, drizzle it over your cookie tree. Shower the whole tree with the candy sprinkles, using more than the 1/2 cup if you like. Start at the top and munch your way to the bottom!

Good to Know - Building a tree is not necessary to enjoy these cookies.

Follow the procedure above, but put the honey soaked cookies in a very large glass jar, as large as a fish-bowl, or a very large glass canister, with a lid. Anybody who wants a cookie just reaches into the jar to take them out.

Keep some tongs handy to help with the extractions!

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