Couchon D'oreille (Pigs' Ears)

Muffin Goddess's Note:

Crisp fried pastries from Louisiana. Posted for ZWT, untried by me. Adapted from Saveur. NOTE: repeat ingredients are for separate parts of recipe.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 12.0 pastries

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbs water
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 cups light muscovado sugar (or use Sugar in the Raw)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add water and stir with a wooden spoon until a slightly sticky dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it into a ball. Divide ball into 12 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a clean towel.
2. Pour oil 2" deep into a large heavy-bottomed pot for frying. Heat the oil to 375 deg F over medium-high heat (use a deep-fry thermometer for accuracy).
3. Roll each piece of dough into a thin 5 1/2" circle on a floured surface (circles must be very thin to achieve the proper crispness). Set circles aside and cover with a towel. One at a time, drop circles into the hot oil. When each circle pops to the surface and opens up completely, place a fork in the center, twist, and hold for 10 seconds (this gives the pastries the appearance of a pig's ear). Continue cooking, flipping dough once, for about 2 1/2 minutes, or until light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar and water to soft ball stage (240 deg F on a candy thermometer). This will take about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the butter. Stir the syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until it's slightly thickened.
5. While syrup is still hot, drizzle the syrup evenly over the pastries, allowing it to fill all the crevices. Sprinkle with the pecans while the syrup is still hot (you'll need to work quickly to do this properly). Use caution with the hot syrup, as it can cause serious burns.
6. Allow pastries to cool before serving.