Crullers are one of the many delicious offshoots of pâte à choux, the versatile French pastry dough that you cook twice, once on the stove and once in the oven. In our French Crullers with Citrus Glaze choux pastry is piped with a star tip into ridged rounds, which then get fried and dipped in a bright Citrus Glaze.
French Crullers with Citrus Glaze
Makes 9 to 10 crullers
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (141 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup (240 grams) water
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 1 large egg white (30 grams), room temperature
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Citrus Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut 10 (3¼-inch) square pieces of parchment paper; place on prepared pan. Spray parchment with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 grams) water, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add flour mixture all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. Return mixture to medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and a skin forms on bottom of pan, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat at medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. (Batter will appear broken but will come back together as eggs are incorporated.) Add egg white; beat until a smooth, glossy dough forms. (Dough should pass the “V” test [see Notes] and will hold a slight peak when pinched between fingers.) Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 370°F (188°C).
- Place dough in a large piping bag fitted with a ½-inch open star tip (Ateco #827). Applying even pressure, pipe a large circle within each prepared parchment square. To join ends, gently press piping tip into starting point of circle; release pressure and then pull up while continuing to trace around circle. (Dough will pinch off.) Wet your finger with water; gently smooth and seal overlapping ends. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place a wire rack on prepared pan.
- Working in batches, carefully add piped dough to oil, parchment side up. Cook until puffed and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, discarding parchment halfway through frying. (It’s OK if some crullers burst slightly in spots.) Using a spider strainer, remove crullers, and let drain on prepared rack. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place a wire rack on prepared pan, and spray with cooking spray.
- Place a cruller in Citrus Glaze; coat on all sides. Using 2 forks placed on opposite sides under cruller, gently lift out of glaze, letting excess drip of and place on prepared rack. Let stand until glaze is set, about 15 minutes.
Notes
Notes: When the pâte à choux base for these crullers has reached the right consistency, it will fall of the paddle attachment and the excess dough left in its wake will be in a “V” shape. If crullers deflate soon after removing from oil, they were not cooked for long enough. Increase frying time slightly for next batch.
Citrus Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 5 tablespoons (75 grams) whole milk
- 2½ tablespoons (52.5 grams) light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons (4 grams) packed lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) tightly packed orange zest
- ½ teaspoons (2 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.
