Cooking Lesson #263: French Market Beignets(New Orleans Fried Doughnuts)

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’?  I love New Orleans! I love the food, the drinks and especially the people. I love doughnuts and I love Beignets! So, this is the perfect recipe for people just like me.
 
What are beignets? BEIGNETS are those delicious rectangular doughnuts served fresh and hot around the clock at the French Market coffeehouses in New Orleans. They are easy to prepare and make delightful breakfast breads, a delicious snack at any hour of the day (especially after a night of drinking Hurricanes) or a wonderful dessert.
 
The yeast dough must be prepared in advance and, for best results, refrigerated overnight. The dough keeps beautifully under refrigeration for almost a week. Cut off some dough when you want to make Beignets; roll it out, cut it up, and fry for about 3 minutes per batch, then fill with pastry cream (or not) and sprinkle the beignets with lots of confectioners' sugar and serve piping hot.
 
Put a little yummy in your tummy! Try my traditional recipe for beignets that taste just like the ones served at the famous New Orleans hot spot, Cafe du Monde. Pour a coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy these tender pillow-like doughnuts for any special occasion or weekend breakfast.
 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 1 hour or overnight
Fry Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs, beaten
7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
 
Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup of room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
2. Combine the shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
3. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic food film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled-out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
5. Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360⁰F.
6. Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering yourself and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Carefully remove them from the oil and onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them.
8. Place them in a clean paper bag filled with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar.

ChefSecret:  We tested a lot of beignet recipes for quite a while. We wondered why our beignets lacked that special Café du Monde flavor. Then one day we saw them using canned evaporated milk instead of fresh dairy, and it made good sense. Back in the day they didn’t have that much fresh milk in the hot climate of New Orleans. Many older New Orleanians consider canned evaporated milk a delicacy and, in fact, they refer to it fondly as "pet cream." PET refers to the manufacturer.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks, we go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.”
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