beignets
Next Dish: Wurstsalat
Beignets are a type of pastry popular in French cuisine, specifically in the southern regions of the country. They are made from deep-fried choux pastry, often sprinkled with powdered sugar and served hot. In the United States, beignets are associated with the city of New Orleans, where they are a staple of Creole cooking. Variations of the dish can include fillings such as fruit or chocolate.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature and beaten
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup evaporated milk
4 cups bread flour
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine water, sugar, salt, egg, butter, evaporated milk, flour, and yeast. Using a mixer, mix the ingredients until well combined.
After the dough comes together, continue to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Let the dough squares sit out and rise until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 350 degrees F. Fry the beignets, a few at a time, until they are puffed and golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Turn them over as they rise to the surface and brown on both sides.
Remove the beignets from the oil and drain them on paper towels. While they're still warm, dust them with a liberal amount of confectioner's sugar. Serve warm.