Cro Knots

Yeah...I know what you must be asking right now...What in Sam Hill is a Cro Knot?  I asked the same thing myself when I first heard of them...Think of a doughnut, shaped a different way...For starters..
I am told that they will soon be coming to a bakery near you...
Want to get the drop on the next big thing in food?  Okay,how about learning how to make them yourself?
Check it out..

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
2 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound plus 5 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1 1/4 tablespoon active dry yeast
8 cups vegetable oil
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Hot water

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Grate butter into flour and toss gently to coat butter with flour. Mix milk, water and yeast (does not need to bloom). Pour wet ingredients into dry and combine with spatula. Dough should feel soft and pliable, just like biscuit dough.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and place bowl inside a plastic bag. Set in refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours.

Okay, next..Roll dough out to approximately 3/4-inch thick. Fold 1/3 toward center, then on other side, fold 1/3 over the first side, just like folding a business letter. Turn dough 90 degrees and repeat rolling and folding. Do this process for three turns total. Wrap dough loosely but fully in plastic wrap, place on cookie pan and place plastic bag around pan. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours, preferably a full day.

Roll dough out to 3/4-inch thick. Cut dough into either donut shapes or into strips (approximately 1 inch by 6 inches). If making knots, roll strips out to approximately 10-inches long, twist and tie into knots. Place donuts or knots onto cookie pan and cover loosely. Let rise in warm place until double in size and puffy; approximately two hours.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees. In bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk in enough hot water to create thin glaze (glaze should coat the end of a spoon nicely). Set aside.

When Cro-Knots are double in size, fry for approximately 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown. Remove from oil and dip in glaze immediately.

Enjoy with a nice cold glass of Milk...

Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!