Cruller
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A cruller is a type of doughnut. Usually, icing is placed on its top (i.e., chocolate). It is often twisted (rather than round) in shape, and unraised. The word comes from early 19th century Dutch kruller, from krullen "to curl".
It is most commonly found in New England and the Mid-Atlantic and North Central States of the USA, but is also common in California.
A French cruller is a doughnut made from choux pastry. They are usually shaped like a fluted ring and have a light, airy texture. Sometimes these are also simply known as "crullers", but they have little resemblance to the other kind of cruller other than that they are both types of doughnuts.
Traditional Recipes for North American Crullers-
Twisted Crullers:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- Fat for deep frying
- Confectioners' sugar
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Sift flour with baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Add alternately with milk. Chill dough. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1 x 8 inches. Fold each strip in half lengthwise; twist several times and pinch ends together. Fry and flip over in hot deep fat 380 degrees F on a frying thermometer until brown. Drain on absorbent paper, and cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar
Round Crullers:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup sifted all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fat for deep frying
- Confectioners' sugar frosting
Combine sugar, salt, shortening, and boiling 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 vanilla. Force mixture through pastry tube onto greased paper, forming circles. Heat deep fat to 375 degrees F on frying thermometer. Carefully turn paper upside down so crullers will drop into fat. Fry and flip over until golden brown. Spread with thin Confectioners' Sugar frosting. Makes about 1 dozen.