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8/15/12

Homemade Donuts: Crullers

Homemade Donuts

Admittedly, our family isn't a very 'donut friendly' crew.  We can easily (and quickly) pass by a Krispy Creme or any donut shop without hesitation.   Yeast donuts tend to upset our stomachs and well, if any donuts are eaten in this family they will only be of two kinds;  A cake donut (mine would be vanilla or pink frosting with sprinkles and everyone else in my family likes chocolate dipped or chocolate frosting) or the ever amazing Cruller.   I know.  I don't like sugar, I don't like donuts yet I love and adore Crullers.  (I'm so weird and hard to figure out!).

So I've forever been on a quest to find and make the perfect Cruller recipe.  Well, I still haven't found "IT" but this one is close.  Close enough that most people really like them, many call them a Cruller and everyone tends to eat them....  and yes, I would actually make these again.  However, I'm still going to tweak this one a little.  I think this is a nice recipe but real Crullers tend to be just a little more substantial in their texture than these.  They are thiiiiiiis close...  but still wonderful enough that I've printed the recipe out for 'long term' and added it to my recipe binder in the kitchen to make again.


Crullers

1/4 c sugar
1/2 t salt
2 T butter
2 T shortening
1 c water
1 c flour
3 eggs
1/4 t dried orange rind
1 t vanilla extract
oil for frying
simple powdered sugar glaze


Combine sugar, salt, butter, shortening, and 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 orange rind and vanilla extract. Force mixture through pastry tube onto greased paper, forming circles. Deep fry. Carefully turn paper upside down so crullers will drop into fat. Fry and flip over until golden brown. Spread with thin powder sugar glaze. Makes about 1 dozen small or 6 large.






I didn't have a huge star tip so I didn't use a tip at all

Deep fry


Dipping in a simple vanilla glaze



Fresh Donuts!  Cooling on the rack.
The second choice similar recipe I didn't choose;

This is actually a recipe I have posted here on my site before but when I had to choose between the two yesterday, I chose the other to try first.

This is the second version in my personal files.  It uses much more flour - which I think is a plus and will add to the texture I'm searching for.  I will not be twisting as this calls for but will 'tweak' it to my cruller form. 

1/4 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 c flour
3 t baking powder
dash ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1 c milk
oil for frying
powdered sugar glaze

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs. Whisk or sift the flour with the baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add alternately with the milk. Chill the dough until you can handle it. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut into strips 1 inch wide by 8 inches long. Fold each strip in half lengthwise, twist several times and pinch the ends together. Fry, being sure to flip so both sides are done. Drain. Cool. Cover with a thin glaze. Print Friendly and PDF