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Is it even Christmas in Italian households, and most especially Naples, without struffoli on the table? Those delectable, golden, fried balls of dough perfectly coated in honey and crowned with sprinkles represent a time honored tradition and family heritage for so many Italians, including myself.
After making, kneading, rolling, cutting and frying over 20 pounds of dough in my own kitchen this month, I was inspired to find bakeries on Long Island that could do the job for you.
The following establishments, all drawing on family recipes passed down through generations, will not disappoint. Don’t wait on getting your own plate of struffoli though. This is a seasonal treat and as soon as the holidays are over, you will be out of luck until next December.
Gemelli’s Gourmet Market North
Glen Head
Patrizia Gemelli grew up making struffoli with her aunts in Naples using her grandmother Rosa’s recipe. Patrizia’s 79 year old Aunt Anna still oversees the production, painstakingly rolling and cutting each ball using the same knife and board for the past five decades. Gemelli’s struffoli are artisanal, small batch, and made on premises. They are uniformly small and round, light, crispy and beautifully decorated with sprinkles and tied with ribbons.
Dortoni Bakery
Levittown, East Norwich, Commack, Port Jefferson
The Messina family has been in the food business for generations and their commitment to time honored traditions runs deep. Donni Messina knows just about everything about fine food and especially Italian cuisine. The strufolli at Dortoni are made by hand just as they have been since his grandfather and great grandfather opened their first bakery in Naples in the 1900s. “Struffoli is as olf school as you can can get. Everyone loves vintage and people get excited about struffoli. There is zero technology at work here. It’s a process and it takes time,” he explains. All the more reason to grab a plate and indulge when you see them in store.
Iavarone Bros
New Hyde Park, Wantagh, Woodbury, Maspeth
Struffoli at Iavarone are popular they can be found not just at Christmas, but also at Easter and Thanksgiving. As Pepe Bonafedi, who has been working with the Iavrones for over 40 years explains, “People love being able to come in and buy struffoli. The new generation may not have taken over the traditions of the past in terms of making your own struffoli at home. But at least we can keep that memory alive by making them from scratch so you can have it be part of your holiday table.” Their struffoli, made with flour, egg, sugar, butter, orange and lemon zest and a splash of white wine, make a beautiful, and delicious gift idea. “Just one little Iavarone struffoli ball,” says Bonafedi, “and it takes me back to that Christmas memory.”
Dolci Momenti
Holbrook and Medford
Dolci Momenti has proudly been rolling out struffoli for the past twenty years. The original recipe came from proprietor Stefano Messina (yes, the same Messina family from Dortoni’s!) and every year customers start asking for their famous sweets in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Says manager Matt Rotondo, “Struffoli are a sought after tradition that customers ask for year after year. As far as Christmas specialties are concerned, struffoli are more popular than even pizza rustica and rainbow cookies.”
Mario’s Pasticceria
Babylon Village
Anthony Mistretta started Mario’s with his mom after learning from his grandparents at their bakery in West Babylon. Mistretta’s struffoli are different from most because his are baked, not fried. The end product is a sweet and tender struffoli that isn’t greasy, but light and fluffier than others. “Struffoli are super popular in our shop. It’s a holiday tradition, and my customers are all about maintaining those time honored traditions, especially at this time of year.” Mistretta acknowledges that time can change things, but he maintains that food traditions must be guarded. “New traditions are great, but who is to say that they will be as good as the old? That why I keep making struffoli…”
Francesco’s
Hicksville
Francesco’s of Hicksville is one of those Italian American destination bakeries that strives to deliver exactly what the customer wants. And at this time of year, that means struffoli. Customers have been coming to Franceso’s for 35 years for their holiday struffoli and for good reason, They are consistently sweet, tender and have just the right amount of honey. Jordan almonds join the non pareils here, and sometimes you may even get candied fruit or cinnamon candies. Either way, delicious.
More on struffoli
Though the Neopolitans have the Greeks to thank for their influence on struffoli (think heavy use of honey – as in baklava, and the name closely related to the Greek strongylos, meaning round, as in the round shaped balls and the formation the finished balls are arranged in), it bears mentioning that a plate of struffoli can double duty as decor on your holiday table. Struffoli can be stacked high like pyramids, cones, trees or, like at my home, in the shape of a wreath. A plate of struffoli makes a marvelous addition to any table, especially with their shiny honey coating and sprinkling of non pareils. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without them.
