Braided Crullers with Cinnamon-and-Lemon SyrupSyrup:1. First, prepare the syrup. Combine the sugar, water, stick cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon peel and a pinch of salt in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Stir in cream of tartar mixture, increase the heat to high and cook briskly, uncovered and undisturbed, until syrup reaches a temperature of 230 degrees on a candy thermometer or a small amount dropped into ice water instantly forms a coarse thread. 2. Remove the pan from the heat at once and place it in a large pot of ice water. Stir gently until the syrup cools to room temperature. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and lemon peel, and refrigerate the syrup for at least 2 hours, or until it is thoroughly chilled. 3. To make the crullers, sift flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together into a deep bowl. Drop in the butter and lard and with your fingertips, rub the flour and fat together until the mixture looks like fine, dry meal. Stirring constantly with a large spoon, slowly pour in the buttermilk in a thin stream, and continue to stir until all ingredients are well combined. Then knead the mixture with your hands until it forms a soft, pliable dough. Divide the dough into two balls and drape a dampened kitchen towel over them loosely until you are ready to roll them. 4. On a lightly floured surface, pat 1 ball of dough into a rectangular shape about 1 inch thick, then roll it into a rectangle at least 12 inches long and 6 inches wide and no more than 1/4 inch thick. With a pastry wheel or small, sharp knife and a ruler, trim the rectangle to exactly 12-by-6-inches. Cut the rectangle crosswise into four 3-inch strips and divide each of these into 6 1-inch wide pieces to make a total of 24 rectangles each 3-by-1-inch. Cut and braid each of these small rectangles into a cruller. Set them aside on wax paper and cover them with a dampened kitchen towel, then roll, cut and shape the remaining ball of dough similarly. 5. Pour the 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 375 on a deep-frying thermometer. Fry the crullers 4 or 5 at a time, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon for about 4 minutes, or until they are richly browned and crisp on all sides. 6. As they brown, transfer them to paper towels to drain briefly. While they are still hot, immerse them in the cold syrup for a minute or so. Then, with tongs, transfer them to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. 7. Braiding: Each tiny 1-by-3-inch rectangle of dough is braided into a separate cruller. With a pastry wheel or small, sharp knife, divide the rectangle lengthwise into three equal strips cutting from the narrow bottom end to within about 1/2-inch of the top edge. Starting at the top, interweave the strips into a tight three-plaited braid. Pinch the loose bottom ends together and tuck them snugly under the braid. Lee Faulconbridge, 34 Dogwood Lane, Grove City |
