Cicerchiata

Cicerchiata is a traditional sweet from the Carnival period in some regions of central Italy, such as Umbria and Marche. It consists of small balls of sweet dough that are fried, joined together by flavored honey and often decorated with colored sprinkles. It is similar to Neapolitan struffoli, but with small differences in the preparation method and the shape of the balls. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of 00 flour
• 4 eggs
• 50 g of sugar
• 50 g of melted and cooled butter
• The grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• Oil for frying (as needed)

For the finishing:

• 300 g of acacia or wildflower honey
• Colored sprinkles, to taste

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the sugar, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs and melted butter. Begin kneading until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
3. Divide the dough into pieces and roll each piece on the work surface to form long ropes about one centimeter in diameter.
4. Cut the ropes into small pieces the size of hazelnuts to obtain many tiny dough balls.
5. Heat plenty of oil in a pan and fry the balls until golden, then drain and let them dry on paper towels to remove excess oil.
6. In another pot, heat the honey until it becomes liquid and starts to bubble.
7. Pour the fried balls into the boiling honey and stir gently with a wooden spoon, taking care not to break them.
8. When the balls are completely coated with honey, transfer them to a serving plate, shaping them into a ring or piling them randomly.
9. Immediately sprinkle the surface with colored sprinkles before the honey cools and the balls stick together.
10. Let the Cicerchiata cool completely before serving.

Trivia

Tradition dictates that Cicerchiata is cut into slices or broken directly by hand at the time of serving – a convivial gesture that makes this sweet even more special on festive occasions.