Italian Honey Clusters
My mother made these treats flavored with cinnamon and anise for neighbors, teachers and anyone who stopped by. Make sure the honey doesn’t boil longer than a minute or it could burn.—Sarah Knoblock, Hyde Park, Indiana
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup 2% milk
- Oil for deep-fat frying
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- Nonpareils, optional
Reviews
My girlfriend’s mother used to make these at Christmastime. Although, their family did not use the anise seed, they are wonderful and sticky and fun to eat. She called them by a traditional Italian name which escapes me.
My mother in law made this struffoli for holidays, and like Ellen said, we made a tower of the crunchy little balls with everyone breaking off pieces. This recipe is close to hers. A little easier I think. WE leave out anise (kids dont like) and add almond and vanilla. I had forgotten about this recipe so thank you for reminding me we were missing something for the holidays. Lindy
This is the Italian traditional dessert called Struffoli where the balls are placed in a wreath or tower and served as a centerpiece on the dessert table at Easter or Christmas. We always had this on our table when I was a child. It is so delicious. My recipe calls for additional lemon and orange zest and pignoli nuts.