French Crullers

French crullers are delicate doughnuts made from choux pastry and then fried until golden brown. They're crispy on the outside and almost custardy soft inside and they're finished in a sweet vanilla glaze.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Servings: crullers

Calories: 200kcal

Equipment

Large heavy based saucepan
Wooden spoon / rubber spatula
Piping bag
Large open star piping tip
Parchment paper / baking paper squares
Oil thermometer

For best results, weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale.

Ingredients

160 ml water (⅔ cup)
80 ml whole milk (⅓ cup)
115 g unsalted butter (4oz / 1 stick)
2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
130 g bread flour (1 cup, spooned and levelled/~4 ½oz)
200-230 g eggs (7-8oz / 4-5 large eggs, see notes)

FOR THE ICING

1 ½ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar) (195g / ~7oz)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6-8 teaspoons milk

Instructions

MAKE THE PANADE:
Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in saucepan and heat over medium stirring to melt the butter, then allow it to start to bubble.
Once you see the first bubbles, turn the heat off. Sift in the flour and stir in with the spatula until fully combined.
Place the pan over low heat and cook for 2 minutes, moving constantly. Fold it over itself then press it out across the pan and repeat for 2 minutes.
COOL THE PANADE:
If using a stand mixer: Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on low for 2 minutes.
If making by hand: Press the dough out flat over the base of the pan and leave it to cool for 5-10 minutes until it's no longer hot (warm is fine).
ADD EGGS:
Lightly beat 4 eggs together in a jug.
Add a quarter of the eggs to the panade with one of these 3 methods;
In the stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low.
Beat by hand, directly in the saucepan with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
Use a handheld mixer on low.
Continue by adding another quarter of the eggs, beating until fully incorporated. Repeat with the third quarter of eggs.
With the last quarter of the eggs, add them a little at a time until you have a smooth, shiny dough. It should reluctantly fall from the spoon leaving a "V" shape hanging from it. It should be quite soft, not thick or dry looking.
Once the dough is the right consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large open star piping tip.
For the neatest eclairs, I recommend letting the dough rest for 30 minutes at this point. The dough will thicken slightly as it rests
PREP FOR COOKING:
Fill a medium or large saucepan with vegetable oil about 2 inches deep and place an oil thermometer on the side. Heat over high heat to 180C/350F.
PIPE THE CRULLERS:
Line a baking sheet with a thick layer of paper towel and cut out 10-12 squares of baking paper just over 7.5cm/3in wide.
Pipe 10-12 rings of dough on the squares of paper about 7.5cm/3in wide.
When the oil reaches 180C/350F, place 2-3 of the crullers into the hot oil, paper side up (they’ll stick to the paper so just very gently lower them in). Use tongs to remove the pieces of paper and cook for 3-4 minutes each side (gently flip them half way through), keeping the oil at 180C/350F.
Transfer to the paper towel and repeat with the rest making sure the oil is always at the right temperature before and during cooking.
MAKE THE ICING:
Combine the icing sugar, vanilla and half the milk in a small bowl. Mix well, then add the remaining milk slowly and just until you have a fairly loose pouring consistency.
Dip the warm crullers in the icing and leave them to set slightly before serving.
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Notes

How many eggs? With choux pastry, the texture is best judged by eye, not by the quantity of eggs. Add the eggs until the dough is at the right texture. For me, it's between 4-5 large eggs, but the amount you require will be determined by many variables - egg size, amount of moisture cooked out of the panade, protein content of flour and even humidity in the air.
Store baked crullers in an airtight container in a cool place, like the pantry for 2 days or fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
They are only crispy straight after frying and will begin to gradually soften. You can re-crisp them in an oven, as long as they aren't iced, preheated to 180C/350F for 7-10 minutes.
It's best not to glaze crullers if you aren't going to eat them straight away. This will allow for more storage options and for crisping them up in the oven later.

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