French Crullers

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar
• Shortening or salad oil for deep-frying

Details

Servings 14

Preparation

Step 1

Cut out 14 (3-inch) foil circles; grease one side of each very well.

In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, salt, butter, and 1 cup water. Bring to a full rolling boil (butter will melt).

Remove from heat. Quickly add flour all at once; beat with wooden spoon until smooth.

Return to medium heat, stirring vigorously about 1 minute--until it forms a ball and cleans side of pan.

Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously with wooden spoon 2 minutes after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Mixture should be smooth and shiny.

Turn mixture into a large pastry bag with a No. 6 star tip in place. Using outer edge of foil round as a guide, press mixture onto foil to form circles about 3 inches diameter. Overlap of circles slightly.

Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, slowly heat oil (1 1/2 to 2 inches) to 365 degrees on deep-frying thermometer.

Fry crullers: Place crullers, foil and all in hot oil, a few at a time. Crullers will separate from foil. Remove foil from oil Turn each cruller as soon as it rises to top. Fry about 7 minutes in all, until nicely browned, turning several times.

Lift out crullers, one by one, with slotted spoon. Hold over fryer a few seconds to drain. Then drain crullers on wire rack.

Serve warm, sprinkled lightly with confectioners" sugar or spread with a glaze.