Homemade Cronuts (Croissoughnuts?)
Yes, I made cronuts. I jumped on the bandwagon. Turns out, everyone’s right. I might pay $40 for one of these on the black market.
Have you heard of this Frankendonut, made with puff pastry dough? Not since Krispy Kreme have I seen this level of fried dough fanaticism. In the month since their inception tons of copycats have popped up – since the name is copyrighted, others are calling theirs “Dossaints” or “CroNots” – and in New York, lineups are going around the block for the things, which are also being sold on the black market. It’s full-on cronut mania.
Madness, I tell you. But I’m always up for a challenge, and we really need to start warming up for Stampede. So I took out the deep fryer. (Note: you don’t need one. A pot works just as well.)
This is why I wear yoga pants.
Mike: “maybe never make these ever again, mkay?”
I talked about them on CBC this morning, and posted a recipe for cheater cronuts – made with packaged puff pastry – and yeah, they’re tasty. But it seemed too easy. They weren’t the real thing.
So I made a batch of puff pastry, which – don’t roll your eyes – is easier than it sounds. If you can make a simple yeast dough, then roll it out and fold it up like a letter a bunch of times, you can make puff pastry. Honest.
I rolled it into a rectangle and put it in the fridge, then every once in awhile as I was working on the computer I went downstairs and rolled and folded it again. You don’t need to do it too many times to produce this many layers. It’s pastry magic.
And then it’s just a matter of cutting them into rounds – or rings – or scraps – and cooking them in oil.
Yes! You too can make your own croissoughnuts.
As they fry, whisk some icing sugar with enough pure maple syrup and a spoonful of water or milk to make a dribbling consistency. No need to be precise here.
Dip or drizzle while warm. Win friends. Influence people. Enjoy life.
Croissoughnuts
AuthorJulieIn a large bowl, stir together the milk and yeast. Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add a cup of the flour and the salt, then gradually add the rest of the flour, stirring and then kneading for a few (or several) minutes, until it's smooth and elastic, and still a little tacky. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the butter and flour with an electric mixer for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth.
When the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle that is about 13"x18" and 1/4" thick. Spread the butter evenly over the dough, then fold it as you would fold a letter, in thirds. (Unlike a letter, the dough ends should line up, so that it's folded in three.) Cover the dough in plastic wrap and put it back into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Pull the dough out and put it back on the countertop, with the open sides to the left and right. Roll it out into another 13"x18" rectangle, 1/4" thick. Fold the left third over the middle, then the right third over the middle. (This is referred to as "turns". To keep track of each fold -or turn- press your finger into the dough at the edge to make two marks - you can do this each time you roll and fold so that you know how many times you've done it.) Chill the dough for another 30 minutes.
Roll, fold and refrigerate the dough two more times, so that you've done it four times total. Cover and refrigerate for at an hour, or overnight.
In a heavy pot (or deep fryer) heat a couple inches of oil to about 350F, or until it's hot but not smoking, and a scrap of bread sizzles when you dip it in. Cook the doughnuts in batches, without crowding the pot (which can cool down the oil), flipping as necessary until deep golden. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towel.
Meanwhile, whisk together the icing sugar, maple syrup and enough milk, water or cream to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the croissoughnuts while they're still warm.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the milk and yeast. Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add a cup of the flour and the salt, then gradually add the rest of the flour, stirring and then kneading for a few (or several) minutes, until it's smooth and elastic, and still a little tacky. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the butter and flour with an electric mixer for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth.
When the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle that is about 13"x18" and 1/4" thick. Spread the butter evenly over the dough, then fold it as you would fold a letter, in thirds. (Unlike a letter, the dough ends should line up, so that it's folded in three.) Cover the dough in plastic wrap and put it back into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Pull the dough out and put it back on the countertop, with the open sides to the left and right. Roll it out into another 13"x18" rectangle, 1/4" thick. Fold the left third over the middle, then the right third over the middle. (This is referred to as "turns". To keep track of each fold -or turn- press your finger into the dough at the edge to make two marks - you can do this each time you roll and fold so that you know how many times you've done it.) Chill the dough for another 30 minutes.
Roll, fold and refrigerate the dough two more times, so that you've done it four times total. Cover and refrigerate for at an hour, or overnight.
In a heavy pot (or deep fryer) heat a couple inches of oil to about 350F, or until it's hot but not smoking, and a scrap of bread sizzles when you dip it in. Cook the doughnuts in batches, without crowding the pot (which can cool down the oil), flipping as necessary until deep golden. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towel.
Meanwhile, whisk together the icing sugar, maple syrup and enough milk, water or cream to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the croissoughnuts while they're still warm.
I work at a hotel that serves croissants for breakfast. Could we just drop an uncooked one in the fryer?
I saw a couple of hosts on an early morning tv show the other day; one brought croissants that had been deepfried and then sprinkled with icing sugar, and sugar and cinnamon. Her arteries weren’t so stiffened that she was prevented from reaching for one more, but I noticed that she did not risk eating another on one air.
I have been waiting for one of my favorite food bloggers to come up recipe for these, and you do not disappoint! I can’t wait to try these!
Droolie Van Rosendal, how could you???
Bye bye diet! These look amazing!
Sheer madness! But very genius-y. One might say evil…
I can’t believe you were brave enough. Yoga pants wouldn’t suffice if I ventured into this realm of deliciousness. Thank you for giving my weak willpower a boost. I.just.can’t.
Thank you! I’ve been waiting for a recipe for these as the prices and the waiting in line does not appeal to me. I figured it wouldn’t be that difficult and I can’t wait to try. Thanks!
this looks great! i live in nyc but can’t bring myself to stand on a two-hour line!!
I have a fear of large vats of oil in my home, and for this reason I’ve never made a non-baked donut. But these pictures of cronuts all over Pinterest, and now this recipe…I really may have to conquer my fear. Like, tomorrow. And then again the next day.
Something tells me these will be worth it.
I don’t think I could make these – afraid of deep frying/making puff pastry/eating too many! But yours look soooooo amazing – I’d pay good money for one 🙂 You are amazing!!!!
Meh – I just love my carbs! 🙂
These look wonderful, and they seem like they might be similar to the ‘croissant donuts’ that are in the bulk bun area at Safeway and Superstore. Those appear to be croissants that were deep-fried instead of baked. They are then glazed, and sometimes drizzled with a bit of chocolate icing as well.
How do these hold up? As in, if one were to make them Sunday night and not want to risk consuming them all on their own, so took the leftovers to work on Monday, would they be well received?!
Laurelir – good question. They didn’t last an hour at our house.
Denese – I know what you mean, but those doughnut croissants at Safeway are the day old baked croissants that they then deep fry and glaze. So they were baked first, which makes a difference – these have a far crispier texture, having had the dough itself deep fried.
Is anything that you can’t make Julie? You are my cooking Chris Hatfield.
Nooooooo joke…..I read, I drooled, I re-read, I re-drooled…I heard the little voice in my head telling me that they weren’t good for me…that I had been eating SOOOO clean for SOOO many weeks and seeing happy results on the scale…and then….Like Batman, I ended up in the car, in the grocery store parking lot, in front of the frozen pastry…again, the voice….I bought 2 lots of puff pastry…and I raced home, again like Batman, and thawed. I cut into rounds, I fried…I covered in cinnamon sugar…I ate…and then I told that voice to shut up….and then I realized I was talking to myself…But I am SOOO glad I did! DEEEE-LISHHHH-USSSSSSSS! Julie, you are amazing!! Yum and YUM!
My heart just stopped….
Heard on the radio this morning that you had 10,000 hits on your blog for this recipe.
Way to go girl!!!
Just a quick question – how thin do you roll out the dough before you cut the rings and do you let them rise again before frying?
I love the anonymous comment that called you Droolie Van Rosendaal. What a perfect name for you and yes, I am drooling over these! Two weeks ago I heard about the cronuts in NYC that everyone is lining up for but I never dreamed I could make them myself!
I first heard about cronuts on http://www.seriouseats about a month ago. I had a friend who was going to NYC and told her to go by and try them. She surprised me and brought some home for me. (This was before all the hype and she did not have to go at 6 am.) They were incredible. Kudos to you for making your own puff pastry and reproducing these beauties at home. Yours look gorgeous.
P.S. I love that you quoted Laurie Colwin on your about page. I was/am a big fan and miss her writing dearly!
My mother is the pastry queen, I’m going to have to get her to calgary asap. I hated, HATED puff pastry week in school. I would rather bone half a lamb than go through puff pastry week again. Even though that was 20+ yrs ago.
I didn’t know one could buy frozen hunks of puff pastry in the frozen food section. besides the pillsbury stuff.
I may have to get myself down to a bakery
I saw a pic of one with lemon filling. I’m salivating just thinking about it. I’m going to have to pour myself a glass of wine just to calm down.
thanks for the inspiration…you rock
Thank you for sharing this recipe – now I feel like I’m “in the know!” LOL! Seriously, I am SO impressed with how beautiful your puff pastry is – I’d love to try making it from scratch.
I think you’re my new best friend! Thank you for sharing!
can i use this cronut recipe as pastry for a pie?
Can I use this cronut recipe on top of a pie?
You could try! Let us know how it works!
Awesome! But where’s the cream filling? 😉
Couple questions: Just did a test run of these. Do you roll one last time after that fourth turn and cut? Or do you just pull it out of the fridge folded that last time and go ahead and cut? I rolled one last time, and they came out a little dense. They were flaky at first, but not like your picture. Also, I don’t know if it’s Chicago humidity, but I needed a whole 1/2 cup more flour than indicated. It was beyond tacky without it, but more like “smooth and elastic and a bit tacky” with another 1/2 cup.
luv it thankxxxxxxxxx
Can you teach how to make puff pastry in one hour? No matter – I will write to you and so hope we can get you to Eat Alberta in April 2014…. check out your April weekends. We have to do it when NAIT can have us….
I can only imagine the line up for a class like this…
We would use all Alberta ingredients – of course!
🙂
V
Hi Julie! I’ve made the cronut according your recipe. It tasted good and looked very nice. Do you know how to made the filing cream like the original cronut have in it? Thank you, you are great!
I always make my own puff pastry and i make croissant too. try to make cronuts using croissant dough and bake it. it’s a lot tastier and healthier than fried.
Thanks for tempting me! I’m 19 weeks pregnant and OOOHHHH these look sooooo good! I can hardly wait to have an afternoon free to make them…. YUM!
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Thank you for this recipe :)))). I cant wait to indulge on these on the weekend.. and I just had to share it on my fb page.
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Great recipe. Looks both dangerous and delicious. Quick thing though. I am a pastry chef and your recipe is technically considered more of a croissant type dough than a puff pastry as you stated. Although they both are laminated doughs (they both incorporate butter by folding and rolling out the dough) true puff pastry never has yeast in it. Danish (also part of the same family) and croissant doughs do have yeast. The beauty of puff pastry is that it doesn’t need the yeast. When baked the steam from the butter that has been incorporated by the rolling and folding gives it its butter flaky layers that we enjoy in many French puff pastry based desserts. Don’t mean to step on any toes but thought you should know. This is something that I’m very passionate about and I love to share information that can sometimes get confuzzled (I didn’t misspell that I meant to say it lol)