Pignolata Calabrese
Pignolata Calabrese, also known as Struffoli in other regions, is a cherished family tradition that is enjoyed every Christmas and made religiously by my mum each year. The recipe involves making a dough with ingredients such as eggs, caster sugar, vanilla extract, whisky, olive oil, and a mixture of plain and self-raising flour. The dough is shaped into small pieces, fried until golden, and then coated with a honey syrup made from honey, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. The lemon helps prevent crystallization of the sugar. Once coated, the Pignolata is shaped and allowed to set. This dessert is known for being crunchy with a sweet honey and sugar coating. The recipe is a family tradition passed down from Mum bringing back nostalgic memories of watching the strong hands of mum handling the hot sugar and honey.
Ingredients 10
Pignolata Calabrese
3 eggs
1⁄3 cup caster sugar
1⁄2 tbsp vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup whisky
40 ml olive oil, plus extra for frying
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
Honey Syrup
100 g honey
200 g sugar
1 lemon, juiced
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Method 8
In a bowl, add , , , and . Beat with an electric mixture until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale.
Fold in until a dough forms. If it still seems too sticky, add a little more flour but make sure the ratio of plain to self raising is 2:1.
Gently knead the dough until smooth.
Cut off small pieces and roll into a long strip. Cut into small pieces (these will expand in the a little so not too big).
Heat the in a deep pan. For frying, you can use olive oil, canola oil, or rice bran oil. and gently fry in batches until golden.
Melt , , and a squeeze of together until sugar is dissolved. Add the fried balls and stir until completely coated. Remove from heat.
When still hot mould to desired shape. Use baking paper sprayed with and the glass sprayed in the centre too.
Allow to set.
