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BEIGNETS (New Orleans doughnuts)




Source of Recipe


internet


List of Ingredients




1 cup water
4 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
vegetable shortening, for deep frying
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Recipe



In a small saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt and granulated sugar and bring the mixture to a rapid boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook the paste over low heat, beating briskly, until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the dough cleanly leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. By hand or with an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the paste until it is smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla. In a deep fryer, heat three inches of shortening at 370 degrees. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into the shortening, and fry the beignets in batches, turning them, until golden brown (about three minutes). With a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the beignets with the confectioners' sugar and serve them hot with chicory coffee.

Source: Gourmet Magazine

Tips from Cafe Du Monde on making beignets: You might have to add a little more or a little less water to achieve a good beignet mix dough, and you might have to make more than one batch to get the hang of it.

Mix the ingredients with a spoon until the beignet mix is all mixed with the water. The dough should be relatively soft, like drop biscuit dough. It should not be stiff like pie dough.

Do not overmix the dough. You will have tough beignets.

Scoop the mix from the bowl onto a well-floured surface. You will need additional flour to roll the dough flat or the dough will stick to your rolling pin and your hands.

Roll the beignet dough flat and cut into 2-inch squares, using a pizza cutter. From around the edges, you will have scraps of dough left over. Do not try to remix these scraps and cut them into squares. If you do this, you will get tough beignets. Fry these pieces just the way they are.

Your cooking oil should be at 370 degrees. Cafe Du Monde uses cottonseed oil, and we recommend you do, too.

Remember that the temperature of the oil will drop when you add the beignet dough to the oil. Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat.

The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.