Beignets

Ahh . . . Flashback to Spring 2007 . . .

Sitting alone at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, enjoying their patio and people-watching on a lovely New Orleans morning. Oh, and enjoying a plateful of powdered-sugar covered beignets and a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. I've never tried to make beignets, but jumped at the chance to try when Our Best Bites posted a recipe during Mardi Gras a couple of weeks ago. Here are the freshly cut beignets, just before rising. And here's a kitchen equipment tip: I bought a metal ruler at Target a while ago and it's a GREAT kitchen tool for recipes like this where you're cutting dough into rectangles (or measuring dough height after rolling!). And because it's metal, I can throw it in the dishwasher after I use it. Love it.

The cooked beignets. They look like scones, but are puffed up and hollow inside.

Can you ever have too much powdered sugar? Not with these!!

Here's the recipe from www.ourbestbites.com:

BEIGNETS

1 c whole milk

1/4 c + 1 T sugar (divided)

1 scant T active dry yeast

1/4 c vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 c warm water

1 egg

3 1/2-4 c flour

Oil for frying

In small saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c oil, and salt. Cook until small bubbles form around edges, then remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 T sugar, yeast, and water. Allow to sit 10 minutes, or until foamy.

In mixer bowl, combine milk mixture and 2 c flour. Mix 2-3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg and mix well. Blend in yeast mixture, then add remaining flour a little at a time until a soft, slighty sticky, dough forms.

At this point, you can place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Or, you can roll the dough out. When ready to roll the dough, turn onto a floured surface and roll 1/4" thick. Use a pizza cutter to divide dough into 3x4" rectangles. Slightly separate rectangles, then cover with a clean cloth and let rise 3o minutes.

15 minutes into rising, heat your oil. You should have at least 2-3 inches of oil in a frying pan, saucepan, or I like to use a Dutch oven for less splatter. Heat oil to 350F, then fry beignets 2 or 3 at a time 1 1/2-2 minutes each side or until golden. Drain and let cool slightly on paper towel-lined plate.

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve warm. Try not to eat all 2 dozen at once . . !