Sugar Egg Puffs

Ingredients

• Canola oil, for frying
• 1 tablespoon butter, lard, or shortening
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Pour the oil into a Dutch oven or large saucepan to a depth of 1 ¼ inches. Heat the oil over moderately high heat to between 325° and 340° on a deep-fry thermometer. (If the oil is ready before the batter, lower the heat to medium-low to keep the temperature steady.) 2. Place the butter, salt, sugar and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Have the flour nearby in a bowl, as well as the eggs. Keep a large clean bowl nearby.
2. Heat the butter, salt, sugar and water until the butter has melted and the water begins to bubble at the edge of the pot. Remove from the heat. Immediately pour in the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until well blended. Return the pot to the stove (don't turn on on the heat) and stir vigorously until a ball of dough comes together and cleans the walls of the pan, and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.
3. Transfer the dough to the clean bowl. If the dough is still hot, stir it for 15 to 30 seconds to cool. Pour in one-quarter of the beaten eggs, then stir vigorously until all the eggs has beenincorporated. Repeat until all of the eggs has been worked into the dough, and the dough becomes a thick, smooth batter. If you want extra-fluffy batter, use a whisk to hand-whip more air into the batter. Whisk for 30 to 45 seconds.
4. When the oil is ready, fry the puffs in 2 batches. With two tablespoons, use one tablespoon to scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter and the other spoon to scoot the batter into the oil. You should have 8 puffs frying in each batch. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until the puffs have expanded to about 3 times their original size and turned crisp and golden-brown. Drain the puffs on paper towels. Return the oil to temperature before frying the second batch.
5. Let the puffs cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then dredge them in the sugar until lightly coated. Serve within 30 minutes of frying.