New Orleans Style Beignets

Beignets, fried yeasted dough treats, are most famous in the U.S. as served by Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 

At the restaurant, they are presented generously dusted with powdered sugar along with a cafe au lait.

Did you know that beignets are the official state doughnut of Louisiana? If you've never tried frying yeasted dough, it's amazingly easy! The dough gets all puffy and crispy in the hot oil, and the whole process takes about two minutes. No such thing as delayed gratification when frying dough! 

Beignets can be fried plain, or filled with bananas or plantains. Because this was my first attempt, I decided to stick with the plain version.

Ingredients in These Beignets:

From your pantry: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, salt, and nutmeg. 

From the fridge: Milk, egg, and butter. 

You'll also need powdered sugar for sprinkling and a neutral oil for frying. 

Note: If you hate throwing out the oil after using it, you can save the oil to use later for light pan frying (and even deep frying) as long as you run it through a cheesecloth lined strainer before returning it to the bottle. Store it, labeled as "used," in a cool dark place and pay attention to how it looks. If it's cloudy or smells rancid, it's time to toss it. 

To Make These Beignets:

First, mix everything together in the bowl of a stand mixer (except the powdered sugar and frying oil), for about ten minutes. Let the dough rise, then deflate it and place it, covered, into the refrigerator. 

The next day, roll the dough out into a 10 inch by 14 inch rectangle and cut the dough into 2 inch squares. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let the squares rise for about 30 minutes. 

After that, bring about 3/4 inches of oil to 360 degrees F and fry the beignets in batches. Be sure to turn them over and over while they are frying until the reach the desired color. Mine are pretty dark but they can be more golden in color if you prefer. 

Finally, drain them on paper towels and dust them generously with powdered sugar. 

Equipment You May Need:

Stand Mixer: You could knead by hand but the mixer makes it so much easier and saves a lot of time. I love my KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro and use it all of the time. 

Spider Strainer: These are great for lifting and turning food that you are deep frying. I use mine more often than a slotted spoon. 

Bench Scraper: This is a great tool for cutting the dough into squares without risking scratching your countertop with a knife. If you do use a knife, place the dough on a cutting board first. I also use mine for cleaning up flour from my work surface as well as an aid for shaping bread dough. 

Are you still hesitant to try deep frying bread/pastry dough? You should really go for it. 

Here are some random reasons why you should make Beignets:

1. You refrigerate this dough and fry just enough for breakfast the next morning. 
2. You can freeze leftover dough, let some of it thaw, and then fry just enough for breakfast. 
3. They only take 2 minutes to fry! 
4. My family loved these. 
5. You get to flex some new bread baking muscles!
6. It's like a trip to New Orleans without leaving your house (okay, a bit of a stretch). 
7. It's a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras, the final day of feasting before Lent. 

Delicious Carnival Recipes

• Banana Crepes from Art of Natural Living
• Coconut Curry Mussels from Crazy For Couponing
• Jambalaya from That Recipe
• King Cake from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• New Orleans Style Beignets from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Saffron Baked Beignets from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

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New Orleans Style Beignets

Yield: 16 Beignets

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 10 HourTotal time: 10 H & 50 M

Beignets, fried yeasted dough treats, are most famous in the U.S. as served by Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 

Ingredients

• 7 grams (one envelope) instant yeast
• 180 grams (3/4 cup) lukewarm water
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
• 438 grams (3 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 120 grams (1/2 cup) whole milk
• 1 large egg
• safflower, canola, or peanut oil, for frying
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients, except the oil and powdered sugar.
2. Stir the ingredients together with a dough whisk, and then mix with the dough hook for about seven to ten minutes, until smooth.
3. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour. Deflate the dough, cover again, and place into the refrigerator over night.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on an oiled surface or a silicone baking mat.
5. Roll the dough out to about a 14 inch by 10 inch rectangle. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into two inch squares. Let rise for about 30 minutes.
6. Heat about 3/4 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 360 degrees F. Cook the dough, 5 to 6 pieces at a time, in the oil for about 2 minutes, flipping two or three times throughout with a spider or spatula. When the beignets are golden, drain on paper towels.
7. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

145

Fat (grams)

3 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

1 g

Carbs (grams)

25 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

24 g

Sugar (grams)

4 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Cholesterol (grams)

16 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2016/08/new-orleans-style-beignets.html

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