Struffoli: a Honey Sweetened Italian Christmas Treat

1. Using a mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl. Mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and whisk well).
2. Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix again. I love my Danish whisk!
3. Next, add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms. With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about half an hour.

Remove from fridge and cut dough in half, and keep one half covered. Now, depending on how large you want your little balls to be, follow the directions below:

1. Small Balls of Struffoli: cut the half piece of dough in two, and roll them out to about ¼" thickness. Slice into long strips, then cut into tiny pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough
2. Larger Balls of Struffoli: cut a piece of dough from half of the batch and roll it into a long rope to about the thickness of a Sharpie, or between a Sharpie and a pencil. Cut into small pieces. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
3. Using a cake lifter, gently and carefully drop the balls into hot oil. Deep fry these little guys (in small batches), which will puff up into small balls of pastry which look like ceci, or garbanzo beans.
4. When they turn a little brown, remove from the hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
5. When all of the dough is fried, mix with some warm honey. Either add the struffoli to the honey in the pot, or pour warm honey over the warm struffoli in a bowl. Shape into a wreath, fill a bowl, or place on a plate in a mound.
6. Finally, sprinkle with edible Christmas colored decorations, and/or silver dragees.