Beignets are slightly sweet fritters, deep fried and sprinkled with a generous dousing of powdered sugar. Best when served with a strong New Orleans chicory coffee.
Beignet Doughnuts
At this writing, it's Shrove Monday, or the Monday before Ash Wednesday, now mostly just referred to as Lundi Gras, meaning that Carnival season is winding down and the Lenten season is about to begin.
It is the time that certain Christian denominations, in particular Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran, begin to reflect, prepare for confession, and seek penance to obtain absolution for our sins. It is, in essence, the day before the final blowout - Fat Tuesday.
No better appropriate time to bring you my final recipe to add to the Mardi Gras brunch and party foods list for New Orleans Style Café au Lait and French Market Beignets!
Just a quick reminder.... if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips, product recommendations and such on a blog, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe and printable!
Oh my gosh, the memories associated with beignets for me are many and they are all associated with one place, the Café du Mondé coffee stand, in the Old Jackson Square area of the French Market in downtown New Orleans.
Café du Mondé, established in 1862, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for Christmas (and the occasional hurricane threat) and sells primarily two things - chicory coffee and beignets.
Beignets are essentially deep fried, only slightly sweet yeast fritters, that are sprinkled with a generous dousing of powdered sugar and served straight out of the fryer. At the coffee stand they come in orders of three, which is just the right amount.
Grabbing a plate of these hot beignets and a cup of café au lait after a long night out and about in town - and more specifically, the French Quarter - was just the ticket to wind down the night, and we did it often.
Served primarily al fresco, though they do have a teeny, tiny indoor seating area, it didn't matter whether it was 40 degrees outside or 100, 5:00 o'clock at night, or 3:00 o'clock in the morning, I can never remember being there where this place was not busy.
It was and remains a tradition when in New Orleans, along with the silly practice of blowing the powdered sugar off onto one another, a practice everyone hates, but which always seems to happen.
Beignets, like any doughnut, are best served hot and fresh out of the fryer and with a hot cup of café au lait. This batch makes about 30 to 40 squares, depending on how thick you roll them, perfect for a Mardi Gras brunch before the parades. Still looking for some Mardi Gras party food ideas? Click right here and grab some inspiration.
Here's what you'll need to make my French Market Beignet Doughnuts:
- 1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Powdered sugar, sifted
Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm water and set aside to proof.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the sifted flour with the sugar and salt and set aside.
Pour the boiling water over the shortening and stir until the shortening is melted. Add to flour.
Add egg to the flour.
Stir together.
Stir in yeast mixture.
Add enough additional flour to form a shaggy dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll thin - somewhere between 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch thick.
Using a pizza wheel {affil link}, square off the dough, reserving all pieces; cut dough into 2-inch squares. Let dough rest while you preheat oil in a deep pot or deep fryer to 360 degrees F.
Drop into hot fryer and brown on one side until golden, flip and brown on the other side.
Remove and drain on a rack over a baking sheet and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.
Serve immediately with a piping hot cup of café au lait.
Just want a few beignets or in a hurry? Scroll down to the very bottom and check out my Cheater Beignets too!
Check out more of my dessert recipes and sweet treats on Pinterest!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
Unable to view the printable above on your device? Tap/click here for a backup printable.
Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, please do not copy and paste to repost or republish elsewhere such as other Facebook pages, blogs, websites, or forums without explicit prior permission. All rights reserved.
Stir together.
Stir in yeast mixture.
Add enough additional flour to form a shaggy dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll thin - somewhere between 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch thick.
Note: As an Amazon.com Services LLC Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases linked in my posts and marked as #ad or #affiliate links.
Using a pizza wheel {affil link}, square off the dough, reserving all pieces; cut dough into 2-inch squares. Let dough rest while you preheat oil in a deep pot or deep fryer to 360 degrees F.
Drop into hot fryer and brown on one side until golden, flip and brown on the other side.
Remove and drain on a rack over a baking sheet and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.
Serve immediately with a piping hot cup of café au lait.
Just want a few beignets or in a hurry? Scroll down to the very bottom and check out my Cheater Beignets too!
Check out more of my dessert recipes and sweet treats on Pinterest!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
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| Photo Credit Fuzzy at Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0 |
Unable to view the printable above on your device? Tap/click here for a backup printable.
Images and Full Post Content including Recipe ©Deep South Dish. Recipes are offered for your own personal use only and while pinning and sharing links is welcomed and encouraged, please do not copy and paste to repost or republish elsewhere such as other Facebook pages, blogs, websites, or forums without explicit prior permission. All rights reserved.
Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.
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