French Cruller Doughnuts

 If you want to make doughnuts at home, this is a great recipe for you.  This recipe has been in a favorite cookbook of mine (A Passion for Baking by Marcy Golman), but it has taken me a long time to finally try it out.  Last week I was heading home from work after another day of snow, and it just seemed like the perfect day to ditch the exercise class and make doughnuts!  The one good thing about these (besides the taste!) is the fact that they are baked.  Basically, the dough is like that of a choux pastry, or one you would make for an eclair or cream puff.  The icing is super easy, too.  

I enjoyed a few myself and then packaged up the rest to take to work.  They were very much enjoyed at our faculty meeting the next day.  Just recently I made another batch for our church's pie/baking auction (we raise funds to build homes in Mexico).  Batches of 6 went for $60.

 These work best with a pastry bag and star tip.  I used the largest star I had. The recipe recommends one that is 1/2 inch.  You can make about 12-15 crullers, depending on the size.  If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a soup spoon to spread out a ring of batter as best as you can.

 Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 cup water

3 Tb. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups flour

2 tsp. pure vanilla

8 large eggs

Creamy Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2.5 - 3.5 cups icing sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2-4 Tb. hot water

 

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper.  Have another baking sheet lined with parchment paper nearby.  (This baker likes to double her pans.  If you don't or can't do this, do check that the bottoms are not burning).

 In a medium saucepan, stir milk, water, sugar, and salt together over medium heat.

 Stir in butter and allow it to melt

 Measure out 2 cups of flour

 This is what my star tip look like

 Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil.

 Stir in flour all at once

 Blend with a wooden spoon, adding vanilla and beating briskly until mixture forms a ball that leaves the sides of the pan.  Beat vigorously 1-2 minutes before removing from burner and turning out into a mixer bowl.

 Allow to cool for 5 minutes

 Confession:  I forgot to add the vanilla, so added it after ;)

 You can do this part by hand or with a machine.  I opted for the machine.  Add eggs, 1 at a time and mix well, waiting until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

 Spoon mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch star tip.  

 On prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each pastry, make a 4-inch circle of batter with another circle on top (basically you are doing one circle; then adding another one on top).

 Bake for 15 minutes; then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and bake another 15-20 minutes or until doughnuts are light in texture and medium brown all over.  Cool slightly.

 You will want to make sure you are keeping an eye on these (especially if you are not doubling up the pans).  You may need to switch the pans (turning them around) or changing where they are in the oven.  This might take longer or shorter, based on the size of your doughnuts.

 I came close to burning my hand, so that you could see how big these are :)

 whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl to a thick glaze consistency, mixing in more icing sugar or water, if needed, to achieve a gloppy, thick glaze.  Dip each doughnut once, letting the excess drip back in the bowl.  Let set and then glaze again (if desired).

 Let doughnuts set on a wire rack.

 Enjoy!