French Cruller Recipes

FRENCH CRULLER DOUGHNUT RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a rolling boil over medium heat. (A rolling boil means that bubbles are "rolling" across the entire surface of the liquid.)
• Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined and throughout moistened.
• Return the pan to the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring vigorously the entire time. The dough will be very thick and stirring it will give your arm a good workout. Rather than "stirring", think of it as kneading the dough with a wooden spoon. After 2-3 minutes, a thick film should have formed over the bottom of the pan and the dough should feel smooth.
• Dump the dough into the bowl of an electric standing mixer and use the spoon to spread it out into a somewhat thin layer, covering the bottom of the bowl and moving a few inches up the sides. Let cool, uncovered, until the dough is just slightly warm - about 15 minutes.
• Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and add 2 of the eggs to the dough. Beat on medium speed until the eggs have been fully incorporated into the dough, stoping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the 3rd egg to the dough. Beat on medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg white and lemon zest. Beat on medium until fully incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Cut out ten 3-inch by 3-inch squares of parchment paper and brush each lightly with vegetable oil.
• Heat a fryer to 370 degrees F (187 degrees C). OR - add enough vegetable oil to a deep saucepan or stockpot to come 3 or 4 inches up the sides, and heat the oil to 370 degrees F (187 degrees C). *It's extremely helpful to have a deep fry thermometer.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop some 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 the ends meet and connect. Repeat with the remaining dough and parchment squares.
• Gently place a cruller onto a slotted spoon, along with it's paper, and lower it into the hot oil, paper and all. Hold the spoon under the cruller for 4 or 5 seconds to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the fryer. Fry the doughnuts 3 or 4 at a time for 5 1/2 to 6 minutes, removing the paper with mental tongs after 1 minute and flipping them over after 2 1/2 minutes. The crullers should be a deep golden brown on all sides. Do your best as the doughnuts cook to keep the temperature of the oil between 355 - 370 degrees F (179.4 - 187 degrees C).
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the doughnuts from the oil to drain on paper towels. Cool completely before glazing.
• Add all glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Add enough milk to create a runny glaze that's still thick enough to adhere to the tops of the doughnuts.
• When the crullers are completely cool, dip the tops of each one into the glaze.

FRENCH CRULLERS - DUNKIN DONUT COPYCAT RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• To make this French Cruller donut, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a brisk boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour all at once and continue stirring until the flour is completely incorporated. Keep stirring over medium-high heat. The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can mix in later which will result in a lighter pastry. When you see a thin film start to coat the bottom of the pan, the batter is ready. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to stir the dough for a minute to help it cool. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add one egg. Don't add the next egg until the previous has been completely incorporated into the dough. Then add the egg whites a little bit at a time until the dough becomes smooth and glossy and holds a little shape (not much). Do not add too much egg white or else the crullers will become heavy. Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Fry the crullers in 2 inches (or more) of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. The oil should register 370 degrees. While the oil is heating, cut a dozen 3-x3-inch squares of parchment. Lightly grease the squares on one side (I brushed with vegetable oil) and pipe a ring of dough onto each of the squares. When the oil has reached temperature, carefully place a French cruller, paper-side up, into the hot oil. Do this one at a time unless you like the idea of hot oil burns and other disasters. After a minute or so, use tongs and a sharp knife tip to gently peel the parchment off the cruller. When the cruller turns golden (about 2 minutes), flip it over and let it fry for another couple of minutes before removing it to drain on a cooling rack or paper towels. Make the glaze: While the cruller donuts cool, mix the confectioners' sugar, honey, and milk together until smooth. When the crullers are cool to the touch, dip the top of each cruller into the honey glaze and set on a cooling rack to let the drips run off. When the glaze has set, the crullers are ready to serve. Crullers can also be baked. Preheat oven to 450°F. Pipe crullers onto a parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for five minutes then reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes. Turn off heat, open the oven door a crack, and let crullers sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Glaze and serve.

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.

EASY FRENCH CRULLERS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until it turns into a thick paste and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the saucepan.
• Remove from the heat and either transfer to a bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for a minute or so to allow to cool slightly.
• Add the first egg and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining eggs one at a time, stirring till each egg is incorporated.
• When dough is glossy and smooth, spoon rounded teaspoonfuls into 360°F oil (in a deep fryer or at least 2-3 inches in a pot over medium-low heat).
• Balls will float to the surface and turn themselves over. Allow to fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. (Do not remove too soon as undercooked crullers will deflate and be very sad.)
• Dip or brush on glaze while still warm and enjoy!
• Stir all ingredients until smooth.

CRULLERS

Steps:

• Make the Crullers: Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from the heat, add all the flour at once, and stir hard with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated, about 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, to evaporate some of the moisture, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture into a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer or mix by hand), and mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and adding 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add another egg and mix until completely incorporated.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (use a large size, like #12), pipe the dough onto the sheet pan in rows of 2 1/2-inch rings. Freeze them for 30 minutes to make them easier to pick up.
• Meanwhile, make the Glaze: Stir together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 325 degrees F. Working in batches, lift the dough circles off the sheet pan and carefully slip them into the oil. Fry, turning once, until lightly browned. Drain the crullers on a brown paper bag; then dip them completely in the glaze. Let the crullers cool and set before serving.

FRENCH CRULLER

Steps:

• Combine sugar, salt, shortening, and boiling water in a saucepan.
• Mix and bring to a rapid boil.
• Add flour all at once and mix and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add vanilla.
• Force mixture through pastry tube onto greased paper, forming circles.
• Heat deep fat to 375 degrees F on frying thermometer.
• Carefully turn paper upside down so crullers will drop into fat. Fry and flip over until golden brown.
• Spread with thin Confectioners' Sugar frosting.