Description
This Homemade Cronuts recipe guides you through the process of creating flaky, golden-brown cronuts—a delightful hybrid of croissants and doughnuts. Featuring a buttery laminated dough fried to perfection and filled with luscious pastry or whipped cream, these cronuts are coated in sugar for a sweet, irresistible treat perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup milk, warmed
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frying and Coating
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup sugar for coating
Filling
- 1 cup pastry cream or whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in the warmed milk and let it stand for about 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Mix and Knead: Pour the yeast mixture, egg, and vanilla extract into the flour mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms, then transfer it to a floured surface and knead gently for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Refrigerate the Dough: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to relax the gluten and chill the butter layers.
- Roll and Fold: On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a large rectangle. Fold the dough like a letter (into thirds), then roll it out again. Repeat this folding and rolling process three times to create flaky, layered dough similar to croissant pastry.
- Cut and Rise: Use a round cutter to cut out doughnut shapes from the rolled dough. Place the cut shapes on a baking sheet and cover them with a cloth. Let them rise at room temperature for 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
- Fry the Cronuts: Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy pan to 350°F (175°C). Carefully fry the cronuts in small batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Coat and Fill: While still warm, roll each cronut in sugar until coated. Then, using a piping bag, fill the cronuts with your choice of pastry cream or whipped cream infused with vanilla extract.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve the cronuts warm to enjoy their crisp, flaky exterior and creamy filling at their best.
Notes
- Ensure the milk is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
- Cold butter is essential to creating flaky layers in the dough.
- Frying temperature should be maintained at 350°F for even cooking and a golden crust.
- You can customize the filling by using flavored pastry creams or fruit jams.
- Serve immediately after filling for the best texture; leftovers can be gently reheated.
