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1
Combine the flour, eggs, lard, sugar, white wine, and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and work everything to a smooth, firm dough, so the wine and fat are fully absorbed and the dough will fry crisply rather than drink up the oil. The dough is ready when it pulls cleanly from the bowl and holds its shape under the hand.
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2
Divide the dough and roll into ropes approximately pencil-thick, then cut the ropes into 1 cm pieces and roll each piece between the palms into a small, uniform ball. Keep the balls to the same size throughout, so the batch fries evenly and no ball is raw at the centre when the others are already golden.
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3
Heat the lard in a deep, heavy pan to 170 °C and fry the balls in batches for 2–3 minutes — this is where the dish lives or dies, because oil held too low will let the balls absorb fat and collapse, while oil held at the correct heat causes them to puff immediately on contact and take on an even golden colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack.
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4
In a wide pan, warm the honey with the water over a low heat, stirring gently so the water loosens the honey without driving off its fragrance, until the mixture is fluid and just beginning to move — do not allow it to boil. The honey is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a thin, mobile film.
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5
Add the drained, still-warm fried balls to the honey pan and toss with a spatula until every surface is coated, working quickly so the residual warmth of the balls keeps the honey fluid enough to cling evenly. Cool balls will seize the honey before it spreads, leaving bare patches that will not bind later.
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6
Pile the coated balls onto a serving plate in a mound, or form them into a ring around an oiled round cutter or bottle, then scatter the coloured sugar confetti over the surface before the honey sets. Allow to cool at room temperature until the honey solidifies and binds the mass together — the cluster should hold its shape when pressed lightly at the edge.