Twisted French-Style Crullers (Printable Version)

Light, airy French-style crullers with a crisp shell and tender inside, glazed for a sweet finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1 cup water
02 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 3 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Glaze

08 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or water
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Frying

11 - Neutral oil (canola, sunflower, or vegetable), for deep-frying

# Cooking Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts completely.
02 - Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the pan's sides, about 2 minutes.
03 - Remove from heat and let the dough cool for 3 to 5 minutes before proceeding.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough becomes smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract. The dough should be thick yet pipeable.
05 - Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Cut twelve 3-inch squares of parchment paper. Pipe a 3-inch twisted ring of dough onto each square.
06 - Heat neutral oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
07 - Place 2 to 3 crullers with parchment paper into the hot oil, parchment side down. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove parchment with tongs. Continue frying each side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and puffed.
08 - Remove crullers with a slotted spoon and drain on a cooling rack or paper towels. Repeat with remaining crullers.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk (or water), and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
10 - Dip warm crullers into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a rack and let set before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between a shatteringly crisp exterior and an impossibly tender, eggy interior is pure joy in every bite.
  • They're made with choux pastry, which feels fancy but is actually surprisingly forgiving once you understand the technique.
  • A homemade batch disappears faster than you'd expect, and there's no store-bought version that compares.
02 -
  • Temperature is everything—oil that's too cool makes greasy, dense crullers; too hot and they brown before puffing properly inside.
  • Don't skip cooling the dough slightly after adding flour; this prevents the eggs from cooking when you add them and ensures a silky texture.
  • The parchment trick is a game-changer: it keeps the dough from dropping into the oil and breaking apart, and the cruller naturally floats free once it puffs up.
03 -
  • The texture of the finished dough should be like soft, glossy pudding—thick enough to hold its shape but light enough to pipe smoothly through your piping bag.
  • Frying in batches of 2 to 3 crullers keeps the oil temperature stable and gives you better, more consistent results than crowding the pot.
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