If there is one thing that is absolutely needed for carnival, it’s deep-fried sweets! Who – or better said – what else is supposed to soak up all the alcohol you consumed at a carnival party? Deep-fried donuts, fritters, and beignets! Exactly! However, this does not mean that people who don’t drink alcohol (I’m one of them) are not allowed to eat those sweet little treats… we like them too, and we definitely devour them as well after a long night of partying. ;P
Many, many moons ago, I brought a recipe for Classic New Orleans Beignets home from the US. Delicious delicacies that are actually not only great during carnival – they are actually great to make all year round. ;P
When I was younger – you could say in my »prime years« – I never had the time to do something like this here for Mardi Gras/carnival. Or rather, »Fasnet« – that’s how we call the crazy season in my hometown. It never even occurred to me that I could possibly make beignets or Berliners (our version of deep-fried donuts) at home for carnival. Back then, it was all about going out and having fun! One week in a row all day and all night. ;P We still ate the sweet stuff, of course, but always bought at a bakery somewhere around the corner.
Well… we all get older (not necessarily wiser) and here in Berlin, nobody is actually celebrating Mardi Gras, carnival, or whatever you want to call it. It’s just not on the agenda for a native Berliner. This means now I can do all that stuff we never made when I was young. I know that sounds weird, but who cares. ;P
In New Orleans, you can get beignets all year round and basically everywhere. People like to eat the small airy pillows for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a snack throughout the day. The origins of this pastry, of course, are in France. The name already gives it away if you ask me. ;P But the term »beignet« in France is not reserved exclusively for sweet pastries. Almost anything you can throw in the deep fryer passes as a beignet. Well, almost. Fried chicken or meatballs are, of course, not beignets. ;P
Many years ago, I actually had a chance to get my sticky fingers on some (famous) beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans. They are serving these sweet treats since 1862. When I lived in the US for some time (not in the 1800s), New Orleans was only a »short« 10h drive away from Orlando – my home base at the time. Back then, we went to the »Big Easy« not only because of the famous nightlife and the beignets – we were big fans of the movie »Interview with the Vampire« and had to check out the city and the places shown in the movie (even though they were probably not filmed in or around New Orleans at all) ;P
Anyway. Mardi Gras/carnival/Fasnet/Fasching/Karneval or not. Beignets are delicious all year round. The smell of grease in the kitchen will last all year round as well if you are not using a deep-fryer that can be sealed hermetically. Be warned! ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 40 beignets)
For the dough:
5.4 fl. oz. (160ml) milk
4.7 fl. oz. (140ml) water
2.1 oz. (60g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups (460g) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
vegetable oil or fat for frying
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
(ca. 40 Beignets)
Für den Teig:
160ml Milch
140ml Wasser
60g Zucker
1 1/2 TL Trockenhefe
460g Mehl (Type 550)
1 Ei (L)
2 EL weiche Butter
1/4 TL Salz
Öl/Fett zum Frittieren
Puderzucker zum Bestäuben
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Mix the water, milk, and sugar and warm up a bit – max. of 100°F (38°C). Add the dry yeast, mix in, and let sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast has become foamy.
2. Add the flour to a large bowl, add the yeast milk, egg, butter, and salt, and mix/knead until you get a smooth but quite sticky dough. Flour your workspace well, transfer the dough onto the floured workspace and fold 3-4 times over itself to create a dough ball. Flour your hands a bit so the dough is not sticking too much. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 90-120 minutes until doubled in size.
3. Prepare a pot with oil/fat for frying the beignets. Flour your workspace well, dump the risen dough on top and pull/roll out to a rectangle of about 16×10 inches (40x25cm). Cut into 2 inches wide squares. Heat up the fat/oil to a temperature of about 350°F (175°C) and deep-fry the beignets in small batches (2-3 per batch) for several minutes until puffed up and nicely browned on both sides. Remove from the fat and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Dust the still warm beignets generously with confectioners’ sugar and serve asap.
1. Wasser, Milch und Zucker in einer kleinen Schüssel mischen und auf max. 38°C erwärmen. Die Trockenhefe einrühren und für etwa 10 Minuten stehen lassen, bis die Hefe anfängt zu arbeiten.
2. Das Mehl in eine große Schüssel geben und dann mit der Hefemilch, Ei, Butter und Salz zu einem recht weichen und klebrigen Teig verkneten. Die Arbeitsfläche gut mit Mehl bestäuben und dann den Teig auf das Mehl setzen. Mit (bemehlten) Fingern den Teig 3-4 Mal über sich selbst falten, bis eine glatte Kugel entsteht und dann in eine gut geölte Schüssel legen. Mit einem sauberen Küchentuch abdecken und für etwa 90-120 Minuten an einem warmen Ort gehen lassen, bis sich das Volumen in etwa verdoppelt hat.
3. Einen Topf mit Öl/Fett zum Frittieren der Beignets bereitstellen. Die Arbeitsfläche wieder gut mit Mehl bestäuben und dann den gegangenen Teig daraufsetzen. Den Teig zu einem Rechteck von etwa 40x25cm ziehen/ausrollen – achtet hier wirklich darauf, dass überall etwas Mehl drunter ist, damit nichts kleben bleibt. Den Teig dann in 5cm breite Quadrate schneiden. Das Öl/Fett im Topf auf etwa 175°C erhitzen und die Beignets darin mehrere Minuten ausbacken – sie sollten schön aufgegangen sein und eine goldbraune Farbe haben. Packt nicht zu viel auf einmal ins Fett, weil die Temperatur dann zu stark fällt. Die Beignets aus dem Fett fischen und auf einem Stück Küchenpapier abtropfen lassen. Mit den restlichen Teigstücken wiederholen. Die noch warmen Beignets großzügig mit Puderzucker bestäuben und dann so bald wie möglich servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
New Orleans Beignets (Fritters)
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 02:45
- Yield: 40 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: America
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Not only great for carnival – these New Orleans Beignets are an absolute delight and so easy to prepare. You should make a batch immediately ;)
Ingredients
For the dough:
5.4 fl. oz. (160ml) milk
4.7 fl. oz. (140ml) water
2.1 oz. (60g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups (460g) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
vegetable oil or fat for frying
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Mix the water, milk, and sugar and warm up a bit – max. of 100°F (38°C). Add the dry yeast, mix in, and let sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast has become foamy.
2. Add the flour to a large bowl, add the yeast milk, egg, butter, and salt, and mix/knead until you get a smooth but quite sticky dough. Flour your workspace well, transfer the dough onto the floured workspace and fold 3-4 times over itself to create a dough ball. Flour your hands a bit so the dough is not sticking too much. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 90-120 minutes until doubled in size.
3. Prepare a pot with oil/fat for frying the beignets. Flour your workspace well, dump the risen dough on top and pull/roll out to a rectangle of about 16×10 inches (40x25cm). Cut into 2 inches wide squares. Heat up the fat/oil to a temperature of about 350°F (175°C) and deep-fry the beignets in small batches (2-3 per batch) for several minutes until puffed up and nicely browned on both sides. Remove from the fat and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Dust the still warm beignets generously with confectioners’ sugar and serve asap.
Notes
Enjoy frying!
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