Time to make the Beignets!

Seven

Hey all,

Fat Tuesday is rapidly approaching and following last night's Mardi Gras festivities, I find myself stricken with a major case of the hungries for beignets of the Cafe DuMonde kind. What's a Yankee to do but make her own. So...here is the recipe I use. They taste pretty authentic. Anyone here have a better one? Post it, please!

cheers, seven

French Market Doughnuts-Beignets

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105°)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

7 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup soft shortening

oil for frying

confectioners' powdered sugar

In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, eggs and milk. Blend with beater. Add 4 cups of the flour; beat smooth. Add shortening; beat in remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Roll out on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares. Deep fry at 360° 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned on each side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar. Serve hot.
Note: This dough can be kept for up to a week in refrigerator and actually improves with age; just punch down when it rises. Dough can also be frozen; simply thaw, cut and roll, or shape doughnuts before freezing.
Tastes like the original!
Yield: 5 dozen

blondie

I'll bring the butter, unless that is a beignet faux pas.

Blondie

Big Tex

I could eat my weight in beignets! Have you ever met anyone who when you say "Hey, let's get some beignets." they say "No way I don't like no beignets."

Beignets might be the best thing on the whole damn planet.

CoonDawg

Do what I do and buy a box of Cafe DuMonde's Beignet Mis...and a nice 1 lb. can of Cafe DuMonde Chickory Coffee.

One of my best memories is of my playing hooky and sneaking off to New Orleans w/ my wife. There's nothing like sitting down off of Jackson Square at 2 am after crawling the clubs for coffee and beignet.

Coon

PS...Butter on beignets? Gimme LOTS of powdered sugar, please.

Warrigal

Fer cryin' out loud....calories can come crawling through a computer and now I gotta go make some of those wonderful things

Warrigal of the gains weight at the aroma of donuts class

VeniceIT

yummy I have a box of "Cafe DuMonde" mix in my pantry heheh never have made them though, luved them all hot and fresh in those lil white bags walking down the street with powdered sugar all over you heheh, but people don't look at you funny like 'why is she all powdery white' they're like ohhh yaaaaa beignets hehehe.

Ven

WildHorses

they remind me a bit of funnel cakes. I make them for the kids at times. I cheat and use pancake batter and a washed out mustard container in which to squirt out the batter into the hot oil. Yummy!

Seven

OMG Coon!!! That's the ticket right there with that mountain of powdered sugar!!! Thanks for the pic. It got me motivated and the dough is all mixed up and in the fridgie.

Blondie, I've never tried butter but I've seen folks put cream cheese on them so I suppose that would work.

Tex, In my Mardi Gras recipe mag it said to allow for at least 2 beignets per person. LOL They've got to be high. I think they meant 2 dozen. I know I'm good for at least that many.

Hey Warrigal, Eat 'em now. Dance off the calories while you sweep up the powdered sugar.

Ven, LOL @ walkin' down the street covered in white powder-me too. New Orleans is my favorite city in the world to dine. If you don't have room for that box of DuMonde mix-send it this way.

Wildhorses, Funnel cakes are good but you've got to try these!

cheers, seven

Auntie Flame

Laissez les bon temp rouler! Ce Bon! AAAAA-YEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Auntie Flame, who loves beignets with rasberry sauce and powdered sugar (salivates)

Nathan Natas

Beignets
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees)
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the fryer to 360 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast, sugar, shortening, and milk, mix for 2 minutes. Add the egg. Mix well. Add 4 cups of the flour and salt. Beat at low speed until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Then beat at medium speed until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the bowl, and climbs up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 2 hours. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Lightly dust the surface of the dough. Roll out the rectangle to 12 1/2 inches long by 10 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into twenty 2 1/2-inch square beignets. Fry the beignets, a couple at a time until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towels. Sprinkle the beignets with powdered sugar and serve.

Prep Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Time to make the Beignets!

Share this