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French Beignets

Source of Recipe

From "Basic to Brilliant, Y'all" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"Beignets evoke New Orleans and make my heart beat faster. I don't care how touristy it is, there's nothing like sipping a deliciously bitter cup of coffee with chicory in the French Market and licking confectioners' sugar off your fingertips—or your love's. Memories like that can last a lifetime. When my sister and I were little, Mama made beignets from the Café du Monde mix, leavened dough rolled out and cut into strips. In France, they use a version of pâte à choux to make beignets. Both are sugary and sublime."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup water
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 teaspoon plus 1 cup granulated sugar
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
â—¦ Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
â—¦ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ Vegetable shortening, for frying
â—¦ Confectioners' sugar, for serving


Recipe

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the water, butter, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, salt, and half the zest 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 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.

Fill a heavy-bottomed saucepan, deep fryer, or Dutch oven no more than one-third full with shortening. Heat to 370° F. Using an ice cream scoop, carefully drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into the shortening. Fry the beignets in batches, turning them once or twice, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

Combine the remaining orange zest and 1 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. While the puffs are still warm, roll them in the sugar and orange zest mixture until evenly coated. Just before serving, sprinkle the beignets with the confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

Makes about 32