Cruller facts for kids
"Cinnamon twist" cruller
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| Alternative names | Twister |
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| Type | Pastry/Doughnut |
A light and airy French cruller
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| Alternative names | Spritzkuchen |
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| Type | Pastry/Doughnut |
A cruller is a yummy deep-fried pastry that's a lot like a doughnut. You'll find them in the US and Canada. Many crullers are made from a rectangle of dough. This dough is cut in the middle, then pulled through itself. This makes cool twists on the sides! Some people say a cruller looks like a "small, braided torpedo."
Other crullers are made from a thicker dough, like a cake doughnut. These might be shaped like a small loaf or stick, but they aren't always twisted. Crullers often have powdered sugar on top, sometimes mixed with cinnamon. Or they might have icing.
A French cruller is a special kind of doughnut. It's shaped like a ring with ridges. It's made from a light, airy dough called choux pastry. This gives it a super light and fluffy texture. In Germany, a very similar pastry is called Spritzkuchen. In the Netherlands and Belgium, a similar treat called oliebollen is baked, not fried.
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Cruller History: Where It Began
The name cruller comes from a Dutch word, kruller. This word means 'to curl'. People started using it in the early 1800s.
In northern Germany, crullers are known as hirschhörner, which means 'deer horns'. Families there traditionally bake them on New Year's Eve. Kids help with the fun job of shaping the dough. Grown-ups handle the deep frying.
In countries like Denmark and Sweden, these twisted pastries are called klejner or klenäter. They are very popular around Christmas time. In the US, you can find crullers in many shapes. Some of these shapes are like the ones eaten in Germany and other European countries on Shrove Tuesday. This day is when people traditionally use up cooking fats before Lent.
Crullers Around the World
Sometimes, people call youtiao a "Chinese cruller." Youtiao is a fried dough food eaten in East and Southeast Asia. It looks similar to a cruller. Another twisted fried dough is called mahua. Mahua is much thicker and sweeter than youtiao.
The "Aberdeen crulla" is a traditional Scottish pastry. It's made like the rectangular, twisted cruller from New England. It was first seen in Edinburgh in 1829. People think it was copied from the cruller in the United States. Scotland also has a treat called a "yum-yum." It looks like a straight French cruller covered in thin icing.
Crullers have even appeared in famous stories! In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sings "Over the Rainbow" while holding a cruller. Her Aunt Em had given them to the farmhands.
Spritzkuchen in Germany
In Germany, spritzkuchen are said to have started in a town called Eberswalde. They were part of carnival celebrations before Lent. Long ago, people needed to use up animal fats before Lent so they wouldn't spoil. Spritzkuchen was one of the tasty dishes created for this reason.
Where to Find Crullers Today
You can find crullers most often in Canada and parts of the United States. This includes New England, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the North Central states. They are also common in California. Because crullers came from Germany, you might find traditional ones more easily in the Midwest. Many German immigrants settled there. Some family bakeries still call them "krullers."
In 2003, the Dunkin' Donuts chain stopped selling traditional crullers. They said these hand-shaped treats took too much work to make. New machines couldn't copy the twisted shape. However, Dunkin' Donuts still sells "French crullers." These can be made easily with a special machine.
Other popular doughnut shops still sell crullers. You can find them at Tim Hortons and Honey Dew Donuts. Krispy Kreme sells a doughnut they call a cruller, but it's more like a regular cake doughnut. Instead of the traditional cruller, Dunkin' Donuts now sells a "cake stick." This is a simpler, machine-made version of the old hand-twisted cruller. In the southeastern U.S., Publix grocery stores often have fresh-baked French crullers every day.
In 1973, the French cruller became available in Mister Donut stores in Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Cruller para niños
