I want Xu Xus!

March 8, 2010 5:14 PM

Are there recipes for Catalan Custard Filled Donuts (Xu Xu)?

Some of my earliest and happiest childhood memories stem from our annual family summer vacations in Spain.
One particular memory is that of eating these delicious deep fried Catalan versions of custard filled donuts. The ones I remember were all approximately cylindrical in shape, slightly floppy, about 5 to 6 inches long, covered in granulated sugar and filled with delicious custard. They usually went on sale for breakfast in the morning and would be gone rather quickly.
This perfect embodiment of oh so delicious sweet sweet goodness was known as a Xu Xu (prounounced "Choo Choo").
They were better than anything comparable I've ever tried and I was looking forward to them every year until I got old enough to go on my own vacations rather than to travel with my parents.

I love Xu Xus!
I want to taste them again.
But there's no recipes anywhere that I've been able to find.
The only reference to them that I have found anywhere online is in this blog:

http://www.eatourblog.com/category/barcelona/
(There's even a picture of a half eaten one on this page)

Please help me restore the magic of Xu Xus to my life!
Thanks!

posted by Hairy Lobster to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

Try searching for 'xuxos' instead.
posted by elsietheeel at 5:20 PM on March 8, 2010

http://alsurdelsurblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/xuxos-de-crema.html
posted by elsietheeel at 5:22 PM on March 8, 2010

P.S. Now *I* want them and so I've e-mailed my friend in Valencia begging for a translation of that recipe.
posted by elsietheeel at 5:40 PM on March 8, 2010

Awesome, thanks!

Google has failed. Searching for Xu Xus didn't suggest Xuxos as an alternative. I guess nobody is searching for them. Fools. They don't know what they're missing!

Thanks again!
posted by Hairy Lobster at 5:59 PM on March 8, 2010

Oh, almost forgot: if you do get a translation, can you please post it back to this question? Or memail it?

Thanks!
posted by Hairy Lobster at 6:00 PM on March 8, 2010

Well, I googled "catalan custard donut" and came up with xuxos.

And if she comes through I will definitely share. :)
posted by elsietheeel at 6:03 PM on March 8, 2010

Hm, I tried that search term too (and many others) and never got "Xuxos" results.
Anyhow, now that I know the spelling I'm finding all kinds of material including this recipe with photos:

http://milpostres.blogspot.com/2010/03/xuxos-una-delicia.html
(page is a bit slow).
posted by Hairy Lobster at 6:09 PM on March 8, 2010

Here's a version that is French, rather than Spanish, but the custard and cinnamon-sugar version sounds like just what you're looking for.
posted by misha at 8:03 PM on March 8, 2010

misha: In the Spanish recipes the custard starts out as a paste and is folded up in an envelope of dough, it's not piped in.
posted by elsietheeel at 8:58 PM on March 8, 2010

Google translate can be a good friend, but know you're going to need a kitchen scale for most euro recipes.

Those look killer by the way, I'm going to have to try these myself!
posted by lilnublet at 9:03 PM on March 8, 2010

elsietheeel: Here's my attempt at a translation. Please, someone double-check it? Thanks.

RECIPE: CREAM XUXOS
Translated from http://alsurdelsurblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/xuxos-de-crema.html

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CUSTARD

300 grams milk
30 grams flour
10 grams cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 small egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
50 grams sugar
pinch of salt
15 grams butter

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ROLLS

1/2 cup warm milk (100 grams)
20 grams pressed yeast (10 grams instant yeast)
350 grams flour
100 grams butter
2 eggs
30 grams sugar
grated lemon peel
pinch of salt

MAKING THE CUSTARD

Pour some of the milk into a glass. Mix in the flour, the cornstarch, the egg yolks and the egg. Whisk till it's well mixed.

Heat the rest of the milk with the vanilla, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. When it starts to boil, remove from heat and add the milk/flour mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir over a medium flame, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When it thickens, add the butter, then let it cool.

MAKING THE ROLLS

Place the warm milk, yeast, and 100 grams of the flour in a bowl and mix together with a spoon.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise till it doubles in size.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and add the risen dough. Knead it till it's thin and stretchy.

Sprinkle some flour on the table and stretch the dough on it till it's very thin, then cut it into 10 cm by 10 cm squares. Spoon one tablespoonful of cold custard onto the middle of each square, then roll them up.

Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes, then fry them in olive oil. Make sure the olive oil isn't too hot so the rolls can cook completely on the inside and become golden on the outside.

When they're done, place the rolls on paper towels to absorb the excess oil and sprinkle the sugar on the rolls.
posted by bentley at 10:39 PM on March 8, 2010

damn this post! now i can't rest until i've gorged myself on xuxos :( GORGED!
posted by raw sugar at 11:02 PM on March 8, 2010

Forgot to add this to my post above (for completion's sake):

See also the photos in the original post.
posted by bentley at 4:44 AM on March 9, 2010

bentley: That looks awesome, thanks for the translation!

My friend is in Florence for the week but said she'd translate when she gets home on Friday. I'll send her a different recipe so we can compare them.

(Googling 'xuxos receta' is getting me all kinds of hits.)
posted by elsietheeel at 8:19 AM on March 9, 2010

Thanks all!

Xuxos truly are the food of the gods. Delicious unhealthy goodness wrapped in more delicious unhealthy goodness. I could never get enough of them.

This will be my project for the upcoming weekend.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 9:52 AM on March 9, 2010

Okay, my friend came home and I showed her the thread. She says bentley's translation is just right.

I had other cooking projects to do this weekend so no xuxos for me. Someone let me know how they turn out!
posted by elsietheeel at 2:01 PM on March 14, 2010

Thanks, elsietheeel. It's only my second recipe translation. (The first was in grade school when my teacher asked for the toll house cookie recipe for his wife).
posted by bentley at 11:44 AM on March 15, 2010