A super delicious and festive Christmas dessert! A variation of the classic struffoli with honey, but with an irresistible chocolate glaze and colorful decorations!
Ingredients for the dough:
🍚 400 g of ’00 flour (for a soft and fragrant base)
🥚 3 medium eggs (for the perfect consistency)
🧈 80 g of cold melted butter (or 80 ml of sunflower seed oil for a lighter version)
🍬 100 g of granulated sugar (a little sweeter without the honey!)
🍸 2 tablespoons of aniseed liqueur (or rum or the liqueur of your choice)
🍊 Grated zest of 1 orange (for a fresh and fragrant note)
🍋 Grated zest of 1 lemon (for a citrusy flavour)
🧂 1 level teaspoon of baking powder (to make it rise well)
🧂 1 pinch of salt (to balance the flavour)
For the chocolate icing and decoration:
🍫 250 g of dark chocolate (for a rich and velvety)
🧴 250 g of fresh liquid cream (to make the icing creamy)
💧 1/2 glass of warm water (to obtain a perfect consistency)
🍒 2 tablespoons of candied cherries (to decorate with a festive touch)
🍬 1 tablespoon of colored sugar pearls (or silver for an elegant touch)
Step by step preparation:
1️⃣ Prepare the dough:
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast. Separately, beat the eggs 🥚 with the sugar, melted butter (or oil) and the liqueur. Add the orange and lemon peel for a fresh aroma. Combine the liquid ingredients with the dry ones and knead until you obtain a smooth ball. If necessary, add a little flour to obtain the right consistency.
2️⃣ Form the balls:
Take small portions of dough and form walnut-sized balls. If you prefer to bake them, place the balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 180°C for 12-14 minutes. Otherwise, fry the balls in plenty of hot oil until golden brown, for a super crunchy effect!
3️⃣ Prepare the chocolate glaze:
In a saucepan, heat the liquid cream until it boils. Add the chopped dark chocolate and mix with a whisk until it melts completely. Add the warm water to obtain a smooth and soft glaze. If it is too thick, add another spoonful of water and mix well.
4️⃣ Glaze the struffoli:
Place the fried or baked struffoli directly into the pan with the chocolate glaze. Stir gently to ensure that each ball is covered in chocolate. Make sure they are well glazed but without breaking them!
5️⃣ Final decoration:
Arrange the chocolate struffoli on a serving plate and decorate them with candied cherries and colored sugar pearls for a Christmassy touch! You can also add some extra decorations such as sprinkles or chocolate chips to personalize the plate.
Tip:
You can replace the candied cherries with dried fruit, such as walnuts or pistachios, for a more rustic touch. Also, if you prefer a sweeter glaze, you can add a little icing sugar to the cream while you heat it.
