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Crullers
Beat a quarter of a pound of fresh butter to a cream. Add half a pound of sugar, a pinch of salt, five well-beaten eggs, one table-spoonful of ground cinnamon, two table-spoonfuls of brandy, and a tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda. Beat all together thoroughly for some minutes, then add as much flour as will make a soft dough. Cut it in strips about three inches long and one wide, twist these and drop them into a little boiling lard. When they are lightly browned, they are done enough. Drain them, and serve with a little pounded sugar strewn over them. Time, ten minutes to fry the crullers. Probable cost, 1s. 6d. for this quantity.
A rich egg-and-butter fried dough, closer to a Dutch-American cruller than to a modern ring doughnut. The recipe leaves the flour to your judgement, which is the whole difficulty.
- The flour is the hinge"As much flour as will make a soft dough" is roughly 3 to 3 1/2 cups for this quantity, but add it in stages and stop while the dough is still soft and slightly tacky. Overfloured crullers fry up hard and dry rather than tender.
- Weights in modern termsA quarter pound of butter is 1 stick (115 g); half a pound of sugar is about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g). Eggs of the period are often said to have run smaller than today's large eggs, so you may prefer to use four large eggs.
- Carbonate of sodaThis is baking soda. A teaspoon is a good deal for this batch, and there is little acid present apart from the brandy, so expect a faint soapy note if you use the full amount; half a teaspoon is safer for flavour.
- Chill before cuttingThe dough will probably be too slack to cut and twist cleanly straight away. Rest it covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then roll about 1/4 inch thick, cut the strips, and twist them.
- "A little boiling lard"Lard for frying wants 360-370F, and the fat should be at least 2 inches deep so the twists float rather than sit on the pan bottom. "A little" fat in a shallow pan will scorch one side before the centre cooks. Vegetable shortening or a neutral oil works if lard is not to hand.
- TimeThe ten minutes is most likely meant for a pan-load rather than for each piece. Individual crullers take about 1 to 2 minutes a side; pull them when a deep gold, as they darken further off the heat.
- Pounded sugarSugar crushed fine in a mortar, roughly today's caster or superfine sugar. Confectioners' sugar also works, though it dissolves on a warm cruller.
- YieldSeveral dozen twists, depending on how thickly the dough is rolled. They are best within a few hours; by the next day the egg-rich crumb has gone leathery.
Cruller is generally traced to the Dutch krullen, to curl, and the twisted fried cake came into American cookery through Dutch settlement in New York, where it was long associated with New Year's and holiday baking.