Darren’s Indigenous Crullers
Things heated up for Spice Week on The Great Australian Bake Off! For the technical bake, Darren’s Spiced Crullers, with a Hibiscus Glaze and a Lemon Myrtle Saltbush Sugar, had us wanting to reach right through the screen. Find the full recipe below.
Watch the new season of the Foxtel Original The Great Australian Bake Off, Wednesdays at 8.30pm on LifeStyle or on demand.
INGREDIENTS
Indigenous Spiced Crullers
510ml water
115g unsalted butter
30g caster sugar
1 tsp fine salt
360g baker's flour
165g egg
65g egg white
2 tsp vanilla paste
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
1½ tsp dried ground lemon myrtle
1½ tsp dried ground strawberry gum
For the hibiscus glaze
180g pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp dried hibiscus flowers, powdered
40g boiling water
For the saltbush sugar
10g dried saltbush leaf
100g caster sugar
METHOD
1. For the cruller templates; cut 12 x 12cm squares out of baking paper. Using an 8cm round cutter, trace a circle onto each square. Lightly spray two trays and place six of the templates, pencil side down, onto each tray.
2. For the Cruller; place the water, butter, sugar, and salt into a saucepan. Place over a medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until flour is incorporated. Place the saucepan back over a medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture smooths out, begins to steam, and forms a crust-like coating on the bottom and edges of the saucepan. The dough will be very thick and shiny at this stage.
Transfer the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside to cool to approximately 70C, stirring occasionally.
3. To prepare the hibiscus glaze and saltbush sugar; sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the powdered hibiscus, pour in the boiling water, and mix until smooth. For the saltbush sugar, place the dried saltbush and caster sugar into a mortar and grind into a fine powder. Sift into a bowl.
4. To finish the cruller dough; once dough is at approximately 70C or below, place dough into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg whites and vanilla. On a medium-low speed, in four small batches, add the egg mix, ensuring each is batch is fully incorporated before adding the next. When all batches are incorporated, beat for another minute on medium. The dough should be soft enough to pipe, but firm enough to hold its shape.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and add the lemon myrtle to one and strawberry gum to the other. Mix until combined. Place a large French tip into two large piping bags. Fill both.
5. To pipe and cook the crullers; half-fill a large shallow frying pan with oil and heat to 170-180C. Pipe six of each cruller onto the prepared templates. Ensure to overlap the ends where the circle meets to achieve a neat, round shape.
Working with one template at a time, pick up and gently place the cruller dough-side down into the hot oil. Do not crowd your crullers. After approximately 10 seconds, the baking paper will detach from the dough. Remove with tongs and discard. Fry for four minutes or until you see cracks forming on the surface. Gently turn the crullers over and fry for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
Remove the crullers from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Work in batches to fry the remaining crullers, being sure to maintain a consistent oil temperature of 170 to 180°C.
6. To serve; while still warm, dip the strawberry gum crullers into the glaze to coat the top and place upright on a wire rack to set. Toss the lemon myrtle crullers into the saltbush sugar to coat. Serve.
