~breakfast beignets~

I had beignets [pronounced ben yAys] for the first time last Sunday and fell in love. These fluffy French pastries are iconic of New Orleans, but somehow I've never run across them before. The recipe I found is so lite and sweet you won't be able to stop eating them. An added plus is that they are relatively easy to make! Powdered sugar is the most common topping but cinnamon, granulated white sugar, and strawberry jam are all great too. Beignets are great for weekend brunches for a crowd since this recipe makes quite a few.



Ingredients
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

2. Combine yeast mixture, evaporated milk, and next 3 ingredients. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Cover and chill 8 hours (if you chill it the night before that works best).

3. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Roll dough into a 15- x 12 1/2-inch rectangle; cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

4. Pour oil to depth of 3 to 4 inches into a large pot (cast iron is great) heat to 375°. Fry 3 or 4 beignets at a time, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain; sprinkle with powdered sugar.