Golden French Crullers
Equipment
- 1-quart saucepan
- Small ladle
- 4-quart saucepan
- wooden spoon
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Pastry bag with ¾” star tip
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Scissors
- Tongs
- slotted spoon
- wire rack
- Deep-fry thermometer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed, plus more for greasing
- 4 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ cup vodka
- 2 cups 9 oz. all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ cup instant potato flakes
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- 6 eggs plus 4 egg whites
- Canola oil for frying
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tbsp. honey
Instructions
Clarify Butter:
- Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Using a small ladle, skim and discard the white film from the surface.
- Slowly pour the liquid from the pan into a bowl, leaving sediment behind.
- Let cool for 1 minute.
Prepare Dough:
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease; set aside.
- In a 4-quart saucepan, bring the clarified butter, sugar, salt, vodka, and 1¾ cups water to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the flour, potato flakes, and cornstarch.
- Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture is slightly dry and a thin film coats the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes more.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Beat until slightly cool, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until completely absorbed and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Then beat in the egg whites.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a ¾” star tip and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Fry Crullers:
- Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a 6-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°F (165°C).
- Pipe 3-inch rings of dough onto the greased parchment, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Using scissors, cut the doughnuts out of the parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch of paper around the sides of each doughnut.
- Working in batches, place the crullers in the hot oil, paper side up.
- Use tongs to peel off and discard the paper.
- Cook, flipping once, until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crullers to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool completely.
Glaze Crullers:
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, honey, and ½ cup hot water in a bowl until smooth.
- Dip the cooled crullers in the glaze, coating them completely.
- Return them to the wire rack until the glaze is set.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Wine Pairing:
Pair these crullers with a light, fruity sparkling wine such as a Prosecco or Champagne.Nutritional Information
Calories: 270 kcal | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 13 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 21 g | Salt: 120 mg
