French Crullers for a Slow Morning

French Crullers for a Slow Morning keeps the shopping list focused on whole milk, unsalted butter cubed, and granulated sugar. It serves 12 Crullers.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 20 minutes of cooking, 30 minutes of resting, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Crullers

• 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ egg whites

For the Maple Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon whole milk or more to desired consistency

How the cooking goes

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugars, flour, and salt and keep it to one side.
2. In a large, high-sided saucepot combine milk and butter and bring just to a boil over a lively flame.
3. Just like with choux you want to make sure that the butter melts before the milk comes to a boil because you do not want the water to evaporate from the milk while you wait for the butter to melt.
4. Immediately after the milk boils, add the dry ingredients to the pot and stir constantly over a moderate flame and cook until the residue on the bottom of the pot begins to brown. You are trying to evaporate some of the liquid.
5. If you don’t cook it long enough, will become too lose when the eggs are added, and it will lose its shape when piped and definitely when fried.
6. Tip batter into the bowl of a electric mixer. Fit in the paddle attachment and then beat on high speed for about 1 minute. This is cooling the batter and allowing some the steam (more moisture) to evaporate. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating at least a minute in between. Add the whites with the last egg. The batter should look emulsified and smooth.
7. Scoop into pastry bag fitted with a large Ateco French star tip (869). Pipe rings onto parchment. They will be approximately 2 ½-3 inches in diameter. Chill then then freeze. After frozen you can cut the parchment around each cruller, place them in an airtight container then wrap them well. Store frozen until ready to use.
8. Before you are ready to fry, mix the glaze. In a mixing bowl mix all ingredients for the glaze, adding the milk to thin as necessary. It should flow from the whisk like cold molasses. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface until ready to use to keep a skin from forming.
9. Heat a tabletop fryer to 335°F or canola oil in a skillet or Dutch oven fitted with a clip on fry thermometer.
10. Get your frying mis en place ready! You want your glaze, a rimmed sheet pan with a wire rack fitted inside and some sort of slotted spoon or spider to transfer the crullers.
11. Fry from frozen at 335°F until the surface is deep gold. You find it easier to transfer the crullers while on the parchment. Be sure to delicately place them in the oil. Fry until golden on one side, flip and fry until the surface is deep gold on all sides. Remove to wire rack to let the excess oil drip.
12. Dip in the prepared glaze while hot, place back on wire rack to cool. Serve ambient temperature. The texture is not appealing when hot just like choux.

After it comes off the heat

Give the plate the rest the method asks for. Cover leftovers and refrigerate them when the dish includes meat, eggs, or dairy.

If you want another plate from Pastries, open Buttermilk Biscuits for a Slow Morning and Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Icing Baked Until the Tops Set.