Honey Balls add touch of sweetness to holiday

Molly Totoro’s husband, Geoff Totoro, is a second-generation Italian and Molly has preserved his holiday food traditions. In fact, she’s even compiling the recipes into a family cookbook. Molly, the author of middle-school grade novels, is a retired English teacher.

The two live in Olathe, have three adult children, two grandchildren and enjoy fostering senior dogs through Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary.

Q: When did you discover you liked to cook?

A: When I was working in New York years ago, I bought my first issue of Bon Appetit magazine. Reading the magazine fueled my love of food and I committed to cook one recipe from the magazine each month. I learned a lot as I cooked my way through that magazine for two years. Also, while living in New York, I volunteered at the newly opened James Beard House. Working there was exciting as I was near many great chefs and food writers.

Q: What do you like to cook?

A: I love to prepare appetizers and desserts, but baking is my favorite. I was a caterer in Connecticut, then decorated cakes. At that time, Geoff wanted to give a small treat to his clients, and I baked so many mini muffins for him to give away, I became known as Molly The Muffin Lady. I love to bake gingerbread and we have a tradition of making gingerbread houses each holiday season.

Q: What is your connection to Italian cooking?

A: When Geoff was young, his parents, Albert and Angie, were close friends with neighbors Cora and Gerald, and all were all of Italian descent. After Gerald passed away, Cora became an integral part of our family, so she and Angie together cooked the traditional Italian dishes. The first holiday meal I shared with them was the Feast of Seven Fishes, a feast served on Christmas Eve, that is named the La Vigilia (or The Vigil.)

Cora was a great cook but cooked by dabs or pinches and did not have written recipes. When I moved to Kansas in 1990, I wanted to continue the tradition of The Vigil as a part of my family, but there were no recipes to follow. We were so fortunate that Geoff’s family and Cora visited that year, and I was able to learn by watching Cora, capturing the measurements, then writing down the recipes.

Q: What are Strufoli?

A: These Italian Honey Balls were a part of that Christmas Eve feast. Geoff’s mother and Cora would make them every Christmas Eve morning, then serve them to the family after the feast that night.

They are small bites of fried dough that are dipped in a honey glaze. Once they are glazed, they are mounded onto the serving platter and decorated with a dusting of sprinkles. The honey drips off the Strufoli, pooling on the plate. I love to take a spoon and collect a little of that honey to stir into a cup of hot tea.

Geoff has fond family memories of these sweets and they are always a part of our Christmas Eve.

Strufoli (Italian Honey Balls)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour (more or less, as needed)

Vegetable oil for frying

Honey Sauce:

1 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

Sprinkles

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and about half of the flour. Stir in additional flour, as needed, until the dough is thick and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead a minute or so, adding more flour as needed. Dough should be stiff and only slightly sticky.

Cut small pieces of dough, about the size of dimes, and roll out to a long, thin pencil-shapes. Cut into small 1/2 -inch pieces; put pieces on a paper plate. Repeat until all dough is cut.

In a large skillet, add enough vegetable oil to cover bottom of pan. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 250 to 300 degrees. Fry the dough in small batches until golden brown. Once a batch is complete, remove the balls from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain in a colander lined with paper towels.

To make the Honey Sauce: In a large saucepan, mix together the honey and sugar. Heat over medium high heat until it boils. Add the fried dough balls and stir until thoroughly coated with honey mixture. Turn the glazed balls onto a platter, and mound slightly. Decorate with colorful sprinkles over the top and sides.

Do you want to nominate someone to be featured in Come Into My Kitchen? Maybe a friend, neighbor, sibling or even yourself? Email us at KCComeIntoMyKitchen@gmail.com

Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published over fourteen cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com .

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 5:51 PM.