Crazy for Crullers

French Cruller, Rolled in Cinnamon Sugar

Of all the doughnuts I make, crullers are one of my absolute favorites. I grew up in a family that made their own doughnuts, so I’ve been making doughnuts since I was a kid. I hadn’t made crullers in awhile, though. I won’t make that mistake again. I forgot just how good they are.

I taught a doughnut making class last night. These were the clear winner. Everyone loved them.

In class we made the crullers. We also made fritters, yeast doughnuts and even fried  up some biscuit dough. All were fun and tasty.

Crullers are different. It is all in the dough. Crullers are made from pâte à choux, the same dough used to make cream puffs and eclairs. Rather than baking the dough- crullers are fried. Although you can bake them, if you like.

There is some art in getting the dough just right. I tried to include at much detain in the directions as possible.

Here is the recipe I use. A bit of work, but well worth the effort.

French Crullers

1 c. water

6 T. unsalted butter

2 t. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

3 large eggs, divided

1 to 2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Vegetable oil for frying

Basic Sugar Glaze

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. 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. 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.

Just out of the fryer

You can play around with shapes and sizes