Kentucky Chocolate Crullers Recipes

CRULLERS WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• 1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring, until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.
• 2. Remove from heat. Add all the flour to the butter mixture at once, beat until well combined.
• 3. Return the pan to heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring vigorously the entire time. The mixture will form a ball and begin to come away from the side of the saucepan.
• 4. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
• 5. Mix the dough while adding 2 eggs. Beat on medium speed until the eggs have been fully incorporated. Add the third egg. Beat on medium until fully incorporated. Then add the egg white. Beat once again until fully incorporated.
• 6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• 7. Cut out 15 3*3-inch squares of parchment paper.
• 8. Fill a heavy-bottomed saucepan or cast iron dutch oven with about 3-4 inches of oil. Heat to 350-370°F.
• 9. Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Holding the pastry bag vertically over one of the parchment squares, pipe an even circle of dough, just making ends meet.
• 10. Gently place a cruller onto a slotted spoon, along with its paper, and lower it into the hot oil. Fry the crullers 3 or 4 at a time, removing the paper with tongs after 1 minute and flipping them over. Fry for approximately 6 minutes, turning to ensure even cooking, until golden brown.
• 11. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on the wire rack. Cool before glazing.
• 12. To make the glaze, put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 40-60 seconds, or until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Stir the powdered sugar into the melted butter and chocolate. Beat the mixture, adding small amounts of hot water until thinned as desired.
• 13. Dunk one cruller at a time in the glaze, allow the additional glaze to drip off, and then place on the wire rack. Top with sprinkles.
• Enjoy!

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.

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.

KENTUCKY CHOCOLATE CRULLERS

Steps:

• Cream shortening, sugar and eggs.
• Add chocolate and then sour milk and baking soda, beaten together, then vanilla.
• Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, sifted together.
• Take small amounts of dough and roll about 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut with doughnut cutter and fry in hot deep shortening until brown and well done.
• When cool, roll in powdered sugar.