Cruller Balls

A doughnut-hole batter of the drop kind, not a rolled and cut dough. The receipt gives ingredients and nothing else, so the frying is left entirely to the cook.

• The missing instructionNothing here says to fry, but cruller balls are dropped by the spoonful into deep hot fat, about 365F, and turned as they brown. Two to three minutes total is enough for a walnut-sized ball; larger spoonfuls will color outside before the center sets.
• MeasuresOne pint of milk is two cups. With one cup of sugar and three eggs, expect to work in roughly 4 to 5 cups of flour before the batter reaches the described stiffness.
• The spoon test"Stiff enough for a spoon to stand up" is the hinge. A batter that slumps spreads and soaks fat; one that holds a spoon upright drops in a rough ball and rises. Add flour in small additions at the end, since the point of stiffness arrives quickly.
• Baking powderIn 1908 much household baking powder was single-acting and lost lift on standing. Modern double-acting powder means the batter can rest a few minutes without harm, but it should still be fried the same day it is mixed.
• NutmegGrate it fresh from the whole seed; preground is a duller thing. The receipt names no quantity, so start with half a teaspoon freshly grated and taste the batter.
• Frying fatThe period fat would have been lard or beef suet. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works; keep at least three inches of depth so the balls float and turn themselves, and let the fat recover temperature between batches.
• Yield and finishingAbout three to four dozen small balls. Drain on paper and roll in granulated or powdered sugar while still warm; they are best within a few hours and go leaden by the next day.
• The trailing textThe lines about the Court House, Library, Armory and Hudson River are captions from photographs printed on the same page of the original book, not part of the receipt.