Crullers Recipes

FRENCH CRULLERS

Steps:

• 1. Place the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a brisk boil over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated. Continue to cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to steam away as much water as possible. The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can add later and the lighter your pastry will be. The mixture is ready when a thin film coats the bottom of the pan.
• 2. Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Although you can mix the pâte à choux by hand, this can be rather arduous, so use a mixer if you have one. Stir the mixture for about 1 minute to allow it to cool. Then mix on medium speed and add the first egg. Let it mix in completely and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix in completely. Add the egg whites, a little at a time, until the paste becomes smooth and glossy and will hold a slight peak when pinched with your fingers. Be careful not to add too much egg white or your crullers will become heavy. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star piping tip.
• 3. To fry the crullers, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 370°F. While the oil is heating, cut out twelve 3-by-3-inch squares of parchment paper and lightly grease them. Pipe a ring onto each square. When the oil is hot, place one cruller at a time in the oil, paper side up. Remove the paper with tongs. Fry on each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel for at least 1 minute. Once cool to the touch, the crullers can be glazed.
• Crullers also bake very well, although they will have slightly firmer crusts than the fried versions. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the crullers onto it, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, open the oven door slightly and let the crullers sit in the cooling oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove, dip in glaze, and cool on a rack until the glaze has set.
• Beignets, the classic New Orleans fried dough treats, use this same batter and are even easier to prepare. Simply drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the batter into the oil. As the dough puffs, the beignets will turn themselves over-but keep an eye on them and flip any that need a little help.

ORANGE-GLAZED CRULLERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Beat in milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Punch dough down; divide in half. Return one portion to the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll out second portion into an 18x9-in. rectangle; cut width-wise into 3/4-in. strips. Fold each strip in half lengthwise and twist several times. Pinch the ends to seal. , Place on greased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 35-45 minutes. , In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry crullers, a few at a time, about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown, turning with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients; brush over warm crullers.

FRENCH CRULLERS

Steps:

• For the crullers: Fill a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 340 to 350 degrees F.
• To make the roux, combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low then add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until all the water evaporates and the roux forms a tight ball, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the roux to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at the second lowest speed until the roux is lukewarm, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and vanilla bean paste in a medium bowl.
• Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest speed. Add the eggs in 2 batches to the roux, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the orange zest and mix on the second lowest speed until the pâte à choux is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pâte à choux to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Cut parchment paper into twelve 3-inch squares. Lightly grease the parchment squares with nonstick cooking spray then place them, greased-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Pipe a ring of pâte à choux onto each parchment square.
• Working in batches of 4 parchment squares and making sure the oil is between 340 to 350 degrees F for each batch, place the piped pâte à choux into the hot oil with the parchment paper facing up. The parchment squares will immediately release from the pâte à choux. Once they do, remove the parchment squares from the oil with tongs and discard.
• Fry the crullers until golden brown all around, about 4 minutes on one side, then flip and fry the second side about 3 minutes.
• Remove the crullers to a glazing rack set in the rimmed baking sheet and allow to drain and cool completely.
• For the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, honey and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
• Dip one side of each cooled cruller into the glaze then return it, glazed-side up, to the glazing rack. Allow the glaze to set. Serve the crullers the same day.