Honey Balls
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 40 to 45 balls
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 42.5 servings
- Calories
- 90
- Total Fat
- 3
- Saturated Fat
- 1
- Carbohydrates
- 16
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 9
- Protein
- 1
- Cholesterol
- 19
- Sodium
- 41
- Total: 1 hr 15 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juice (from about 1 orange)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note), plus more for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
Directions
Special equipment:
a deep-frying thermometer- Mix the butter, sugar, orange zest and juice, vanilla and whole eggs and yolk in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the egg mixture. Mix on low speed, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball evenly into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll each into a rope about 18 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of oil. Attach a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, combine the honey and orange blossom water in a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring as the honey warms, until the mixture is combined. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm while the dough is frying.
- Carefully drop about a third of the dough balls into the oil 1 at a time, adjusting the heat if the oil temperature drops below 340 degrees F or reaches above 360 degrees F. Fry the dough, flipping halfway through, until the balls are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the balls to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towel. Continue with the remaining dough balls in 2 more batches.
- Transfer the fried balls to a large bowl. Pour the warm honey syrup over them and gentle fold together with a large rubber spatula until the balls are coated evenly with the honey syrup. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)