There isn’t a thing I don’t LOVE about donuts (rule #374 – double negatives are totally allowed when donuts are involved). They’re light, doughy, airy, sweet, glazed, sprinkled, and jelly-filled. While, I will admit ALL of the chocolate variety of donuts or doughnuts (which ever) are my favorite, these french honey crullers do measure up to second best. They really do. Especially because they’re rolled around in honey glaze. <–That’s bonus points. Before we jump into the recipe, I just wanted to say, you are going to want to makes these. Because not only are these crullers adorable, they are easy to make and are ready in under 45 minutes. Not soon after I was done making this batch, Anees asked if we could have them again. Maybe with chocolate in there somewhere. That is probably about the only way these honey crullers could get better. Now, where to put it? And can we have those EVERY morning?All the ingredients that are needed for these French honey crullers are probably already in your kitchen. The dough starts with a few eggs, less than a stick of butter, a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. Along with flour, of course. The recipes that require zero trips to the grocery store are my favorite. I’m known to visit at least a few different grocery stores more than a few times a week. It’s sadly, a running joke in the family. Okay, i’ll admit the frequency/quantity of grocery stores I visit, is slightly out of control. Slightly. Oh, and lucky for me (not soo much for Anees) the hubby’s office is right next door to a grocery store. WIN! Ahem. So back to French Honey Crullers. We’re going to start by bringing the water, butter, salt and sugar to boil. Next we’re going to add the flour. You want to try and remove as much of the moisture from this dough as possible. This will result in super airy crullers that fly off the plate in .03 seconds. Once the moisture is removed (about 3 minutes), transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture (hand mixer will work too) and beat in the eggs. Let each egg incorporate fully into the dough before adding the next. The final step for this dough requires 1 – 2 large egg whites. I added 1 extra large egg white and that did the trick for me. If all you’ve got on hand are large egg whites, no worries! Lightly beat the two and add the egg whites to the batter a little at a time. You want to get a light luster to the batter. See picture below.
Pipe the dough on 3 x 3 parchment paper squares that have been sprayed with cooking spray. I used a star tip to do this. Make sure to get any air out of the bag so you get perfect little circles.
When the oil temperature reaches 370 degrees F, place 1 – 2 piped crullers into the oil at a time. I placed mine upside down (with parchment on top) and when the cruller was ready, the parchment paper detached easily. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes per side. Keep in mind they will darken as they sit so pull them out a shade before what seems to be golden – brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before dunking in honey glaze.
To make the glaze: combine the honey, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Using sifted powdered (confectioners) sugar produces a lump free honey glaze. Dunk the cooled crullers into the honey glaze. Double dipping is permitted. Triple dipping is encouraged. I am totally in love with these cuties! I stored them on a plate, covered with clear plastic wrap, and unfortunately they didn’t last very long around here! They are completely irresistible. Sticky, gooey, a slight crispness on the outside with airy lightness on the inside. And the best (read: dangerous) part? They are so gosh darn easy to make. Next time, I make French crullers i’m making them with chocolate glaze. Totally, doing that!
Recipe slightly adapted from: Use Real Butter
