Koko sprained her
hand a couple of days ago, and won't be able to post for awhile. The incident involved pvc pipe, marshmallows,
and a very steep hill, but I won't bore you with details. Needless to say, baking and typing are a
little slow-going when you can only use one hand (and it happens to be the
non-dominant one). I will be covering
the next couple entries to give Koko's hand
time to recuperate. Thankfully, Nutmeg
is back in town and ready to bake!
Koko's dad had a
rough night last night at work, so we decided to try out a new recipe on him this
morning: French Cruller Doughnuts. Have
you ever seen a doughnut that looked like a tractor tire? That's what these babies are. They're baked and not fried, which makes them
unique. They also use lots of eggs,
making them custardy inside.
The Dunkin' Doughnuts version - a little tough and empty
The recipe comes
from a book called A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. It is a beautiful book, and the recipes are
over-the-top. While we wanted to
experiment, we didn't need more than a dozen doughnuts calling out to us from
the countertop. Halving the recipe was
still more than enough!
We were a little
skeptical at first, because they didn't bake up the way we expected. This was a new method of baking for both of
us, but it was worth the learning experience.
Don't be discouraged! The dough
is similar to creme puff pastry. You
have to glaze them and let them sit for awhile - that's when these delightful
doughnuts really shine!
French
Cruller Doughnuts (a half recipe)
Choux Paste
Doughnut Base
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose
flour
1 tsp. vanilla
extract
4 large eggs
Creamy Vanilla
Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted
butter, melted
1 1/2 cups
confectioner's sugar
1 tsp, vanilla
extract
2 Tbs. hot water
Preheat oven to
400*F. Stack two baking sheets together
and line top sheet with parchment paper.
Have another baking sheet with parchment nearby.
In a medium
saucepan, stir milk, water, sugar, and salt together over medium heat. Stir in butter and allow to melt. Increase heat and bring mixture to a rolling
boil. Stir in flour all at once with a
wooden spoon. Blend well , adding
vanilla and beating briskly until mixture forms a ball that leaves the side of
the pan. Beat vigorously 1-2 minutes before
removing from burner and turning out into a mixing bowl. Allow mixture to cool 5-7 minutes. This is your Choux Paste.
Photo courtesy of Pastry & Sports
Using a wide whisk
(or the whisk attachment on your kitchen aid mixer, on the slowest mix setting),
add eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth and glossy. Spoon paste into a large pastry bag fitted
with a 1/2 inch star tip. (You need to
use the big tip to make this as full as it should be. We used the small one, and they didn't turn
out full enough and made twice as many as it should have). On prepared baking sheets, leaving some paste
between each pastry, make a 4-inch circle of batter with another circle on
top. If you don't have a pastry bag, put
batter in a gallon ziploc and cut a 1/2 inch corner or so off of the bag. Squeeze out in double circles as described.
Bake pastry 15
minutes; then reduce temperature to 375*F and bake another 15-20 minutes or
until doughnuts are light in texture and medium brown all over. Cool slightly.
While pastry is in
the oven, make the Creamy Vanilla Glaze.
Whisk all ingredients together in
a medium bowl to a thick glaze consistency. Dip each warm doughnut once, let excess drip
back into bowl, let set, and then glaze again.
(We dipped a few and then spread the rest). Let doughnuts set on wire rack. (Give it at least a good half hour - they
just get better with a little time!)
Enjoy!
