Sugar Puffs

Think of these as the simplest fried pastry you can make. Egg, milk, flour, salt. That’s the whole dough. Roll it out until it’s almost see-through, cut it into squares, and fry them until they puff and turn golden.

The key step most people rush is the drying time. After rolling, the dough sits under a towel for 30 minutes. That rest lets the surface dry out just enough so when it hits the hot oil, it blisters and puffs instead of turning dense and chewy. Skip this and you’ll get flat, greasy squares instead of light, airy ones.

Dust them with powdered sugar or cinnamon while they’re still hot so the coating sticks.

Pro Tips

• Roll the dough as thin as you possibly can. If you can almost read a newspaper through it, you’re in the right territory. Thickness is the enemy of puff.
• Keep oil at a steady temperature. Too cool and they absorb grease; too hot and they brown before puffing.
• Fry in small batches. Crowding the fryer drops the oil temp and gives you soggy results.
• Drain on a wire rack over paper towels instead of just paper towels. Air circulation underneath keeps the bottoms crisp.

Variations

• Chocolate dusted: Toss warm puffs in a mix of cocoa powder and powdered sugar for a chocolatey twist.
• Savory version: Skip the sugar entirely and sprinkle with fine salt and grated Parmesan while hot.