French Crullers

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
4 ounces butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
4 eggs


Preparation:

• Combine flour, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a saucepan heat the water, add butter and cook until butter is melted. Add flour mixture to hot water and mix all at once. Cook until mixture forms a firm ball. Cool slightly and add eggs (one at a time). Beat until each egg is thoroughly incorporated and a batter is formed. After all four eggs have been added, put the dough in the refrigerator and chill for couple hours. Chilled dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped.

• Grease a large piece of parchment paper or foil with oil to prevent the doughnuts from sticking to it

• Place the dough in a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe the batter one inch apart onto the prepared greased paper or foil. Crullers should be about 2.5 or 3 inches in diameter, with a hole about 1 inch in diameter.

• When ready to fry, put oil in a deep pan and heat it until hot. Cut the paper around each of the crullers which will allow you to pick up each of them individually and gently invert it over the hot oil to fry. The crullers will be more than double in size so leave plenty of room.

• Fry crullers until puffed and golden, flipping them every 30 seconds or so. Drain them on a wire rack or paper towel, cool slightly, then put on a frosting glaze or decorate as desired.