Buttermilk Vanilla Glazed Cronuts

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Home made buttermilk vanilla glazed cronuts are the quintessence of coziness, indulgence and hygge.

Let me show you why…

Imagine the gentle morning sunlight that bathes your kitchen in a warm, welcoming glow.

Your favorite playlist softly playing in the background, a steaming cup of coffee cradled in your hands, and the tantalizing scent of homemade pastries filling your home with the comforting aroma of vanilla and butter.

The buttermilk vanilla glazed cronuts are only a few minutes away.

Wait…stop…stop.

CRONUTS?

YES! Cronuts.

Picture this.

Layers of tender and flaky croissant dough transformed into heavenly donuts that will soon emerge from the fryer; all golden and crisp on the outside and irresistibly soft inside.

Then comes the glaze

A cascade of glossy vanilla-infused glaze ready to dress them like fairy tale princesses.

Intrigued?

Awesome!

I am about to give you our most loved – and eaten – cronut recipe and I promise you it will leave you wanting to eat the second one, then the third and possibly a forth.

THE RECIPE

This recipe is the absolute best when we sit the entire family around the table; little ones included

It will yield 12 donuts and 12 holes.

For The Cronuts

INGREDIENTS

  • 180 ml (3/4 cups) of warm milk
  • 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of active dry yeast
  • 80 grams (1/3 cup) of sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of vanilla paste or seeds from 2 vanilla beans (divided)
  • 420 grams (3 1/2 cups) of all-purpose flour (divided)
  • 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt
  • 225 grams (2 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
  • Oil for frying

For the Buttermilk Vanilla Glaze

INGREDIENTS

  • 240 grams (1 cup) of powdered sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of buttermilk
  • 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of vanilla paste or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS

Pre-Steps: the night before take butter out of the refrigerator

  1. In a large bowl, combine 180 ml (3/4 cups) of warm milk and 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the eggs, 80 grams (1/3 cup) of sugar, and half of the vanilla paste or half the vanilla bean seeds then mix thoroughly.
  3. Add 140 grams (1 cup) of flour and 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt, then gradually incorporate another 315 grams (2 1/4 cups) of flour.
  4. Stir first then knead the dough for several minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
  5. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap or a bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  6. While the dough chills, use an electric mixer to beat 226 grams (2 sticks) of room-temperature butter, the remaining half of the vanilla bean (scraped), or another 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of vanilla paste, and the remaining 30 grams (1/4 cup) of flour for a couple of minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  7. After the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to create a rectangle about 30 cm x 45 cm (12″ x 18″) and roughly 0.6 cm (1/4″) thick.
  8. Spread the butter evenly over the dough then fold the dough in thirds exactly as you would fold a letter before putting it in an envelope.
  9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator for another 45 minutes to an hour.
  10. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on the counter top making sure the open sides are the left and right ones. Roll it out and reshape it into a rectangle.
  11. Now fold the left third towards the middle, followed by the right third. After folding, cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator for another 45 minutes to an hour.
  12. Repeat the rolling, folding, and refrigerating process TWO MORE TIMES, for a total of FOUR times. Cover and refrigerate for an additional hour or overnight

TIP: for a less labor intensive process let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator and continue the process the following day.

  1. Roll out the dough to about 3.8 cm (1 1/2″) thickness, then with a donut cutter, cut out 12 donuts, reserving the holes (re-roll if necessary).
  2. Place the cut donuts in the fridge until ready to fry.

IMPORTANT: to keep the batter cold remove from the fridge only the donuts that fit in your fryer or pot.

  1. In a deep pot, heat a couple inches of oil to around 175°C (350°F), or until hot but not smoking.
  2. Drop in a small scrap of dough to test the temperature; if it is right you will see little bubbles from around the dough.
  3. Cook the donuts in batches but don’t overcrowd the pot/fryer as too many donuts can decrease the temperature of the oil. Flip as necessary until deep golden, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with unbleached print-free paper towel.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together 240 grams (1 cup) of powdered sugar, 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of buttermilk, and 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of vanilla to create the glaze.
  5. Drizzle this glaze over the donuts while they are still warm.

CRONUTS FOR THE GROWN UPS

Now let me share with you the adult only version of the glaze that I am sure you will love even more.

To make cronuts and holes you will follow the exact same steps of the family friendly recipe but we are going to do something a bit different for the glaze.

Buttermilk, Vanilla And Rum Glaze

INGREDIENTS

  • 240 grams (1 cup) of powdered sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of buttermilk
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of dark Cuban Rum
  • 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of vanilla paste or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS

The only difference from the recipe above is this

1. Mix sugar, buttermilk, Rum and vanilla and pour the heavenly glaze you obtained on the warm cronuts

BAKER’S TIP

Adding Rum will make the glaze thinner.

If you don’t like the idea of a runny glaze simply pour the Rum in a small container and brush it on the hot cronuts ( they have to be hot! )

Then add the buttermilk and vanilla glaze.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE CRONUT HOLES?

You can turn them into vanilla buttermilk cronut holes or you can try the recipe I am about to share with you.

The flavor pairs incredibly well with buttermilk and vanilla.

Chai Spiced Cronut Holes

As you already have the holes all you need to do is taking care of the coating.

This is what you’ll need.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) muscovado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix the sugar and chai spices in a separate bowl to create the coating.
  2. While the donut holes are still warm, roll them in this chai spice sugar mixture until they are evenly coated.
  3. Let them cool slightly before serving.

NOT A FAN OF BUTTERMILK OR VANILLA?

For a fruity twist, consider filling your cronuts with raspberry jam or zesty lemon curd before the frying process.

For the chocolate lovers out there: you guys should try dipping your cronuts in a chocolate ganache and sprinkle them with toasted hazelnuts.

IF YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT A CRONUT IS

And this last part is for those of you who are yet to experience the magic of cronuts…

To put it simply, cronuts are the pastry pinnacle of textural contrast.

They have a crisp, golden exterior that gives way to a heart made of layers upon layers of buttery, delicate pastry.

Each bite is a symphony of textures.

Starting with the the utterly satisfying crunch as you sink your teeth into the outer shell, to the soft and almost creamy interior that literally melts in your mouth.

And their flavor…Mamma Mia!

In spite of their young age – cronuts have been created by pastry chef Dominique Ansel in 2013 – they are endowed with the unique richness of old cherished heirloom recipe passed down through generations.

Tasty, flaky, buttery, delicious, hygge and amazing…what’s there NOT to love?