Strawberry Glazed French Crullers (Printable Version)
Light choux pastry crullers with a sweet, fruity strawberry glaze for breakfast or dessert.
# What You Need:
→ For the Crullers
01 - 1 cup water
02 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Vegetable oil, for frying
→ For the Strawberry Glaze
09 - 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
10 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed for consistency
12 - 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
# Directions:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a ball, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
02 - Cut parchment paper into 8 squares, approximately 4x4 inches each. Pipe dough rings about 3 inches wide onto each parchment square.
03 - Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F. Using a spatula, gently lower each parchment square dough-side down into the hot oil. After a few seconds, remove the parchment with tongs. Fry crullers 2–3 minutes per side until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels and let cool completely.
04 - Mash the strawberries and press through a fine-mesh sieve to yield about 2 tablespoons of juice. In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, strawberry juice, lemon juice, and just enough milk to form a smooth, pourable glaze.
05 - Dip the top of each cooled cruller into the glaze. Set on a wire rack and let stand until the glaze firms up, about 30 minutes.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The choux pastry puffs into these incredible ridged shells that shatter at first bite and practically melt afterward.
- Fresh strawberry glaze turns a classic French technique into something unexpectedly fruity and bright without needing any artificial flavoring.
02 -
- If the oil drops below 325 degrees the crullers absorb grease and never crisp, so use a thermometer and adjust the heat constantly.
- Pulling the parchment paper off too early tears the dough, but leaving it too long makes the paper stick, so count to three and pull with confidence.
03 -
- Test fry one cruller first to check oil temperature and dough consistency before committing the whole batch.
- A drop of strawberry extract in the glaze boosts the flavor without changing the color if your berries are slightly bland.