Strawberry Glazed French Crullers (Print Version)
Light, airy French crullers with a sweet, tangy strawberry glaze — an elegant breakfast or dessert treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pâte à Choux Dough
01 - 1 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 4 large eggs
→ For Frying
07 - Vegetable oil, for deep frying
→ Strawberry Glaze
08 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 3 to 4 fresh strawberries, hulled
10 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice
11 - 1 to 2 teaspoons milk, as needed for consistency
# How to Make It:
01 - Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip approximately 1/2 inch wide.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine the water, cubed butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally until the butter has fully melted.
03 - Add the flour all at once to the boiling mixture. Stir vigorously and continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the dough to cool for 5 minutes, letting residual steam escape.
05 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated. Continue until the batter is smooth, glossy, and falls in a thick ribbon from the spoon.
06 - Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag. Pipe 3-inch diameter rings onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
07 - Place the piped crullers in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until firm enough to handle and lift without losing their shape.
08 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep heavy pot or deep fryer to 350°F. Using a spatula, carefully lift each frozen cruller and lower it into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 3 to 4 for 2 to 3 minutes per side until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels.
09 - Place the hulled strawberries in a bowl and mash them together with the lemon juice until thoroughly crushed and juicy. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to extract the juice, discarding the seeds and pulp.
10 - In a separate bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the strained strawberry juice. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thick yet pourable and dips easily.
11 - Once the crullers have cooled completely, dip the top half of each into the strawberry glaze. Place on a wire rack and allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between that shatteringly crisp exterior and the eggy hollow center is genuinely magical.
- That strawberry glaze tastes like summer jam in drizzle form and it hardens into the prettiest pink shell.
- They look like they came from a fancy patisserie but the dough comes together in one pot.
02 -
- If the oil is even 10 degrees too hot the outside burns before the inside cooks through so use a thermometer.
- Skipping the freeze step means your crullers will lose their shape the second they hit the oil.
03 -
- Pipe extra crullers and freeze them raw in an airtight container for up to a month so you can fry fresh ones on demand.
- The secret to that professional shine on the glaze is adding the tiniest drop of corn syrup along with the milk.