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Deep - Fried Pastries
(Croquignoles)
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| What You Need: |
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2 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
˝ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
˝ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
˝ cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Confectioners' sugar
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt, sift them together into a bowl, and set aside.
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2. In a deep mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk until they are light and frothy. With a wooden spoon, beat in the sugar, the cooled melted butter and the vanilla extract and, when all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, beat in the flour mixture, about ˝ cup at a time. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
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3. To shape the dough into rounds, roll out one portion into a rough rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. With a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut the dough into 3-inch rounds.
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4. Gather the scraps into a ball, roll them out as before and cut as many more rounds as you can. With a sharp knife, cut two parallel slashes about 2 inches long and ˝ inch apart in the center of each round.
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5. To shape the dough into triangles, roll out one portion into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, divide the circle into 16 equal pie-shaped wedges. Cut a 3-inch slash lengthwise down the center of each wedge.
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6. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan to a depth of 2 or 3 inches and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
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7. Fry the "croquignoles", two or three at a time, turning them about with a slotted spoon for 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp. As they are deep-fried, transfer them to paper towels to drain.
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8. Serve the "croquignoles" warm, or cooled to room temperature. Just before serving, sprinkle them lightly with confectioners' sugar.
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To Make: make about 3 dozen round or triangular pastries
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