Food Preparation Archives - Page 11 of 17

Homemade beignets are actually very easy to make at home. Here is a recipe that produces results that are quite similar to the original Cafe Du Monde beignets, although their version is made from a mixture of wheat and barley flour and contains buttermilk. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups of Warm Water that is between 110℉ and 115℉ 1 packet of Active Dry Yeast ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar 1 cup Evaporated Milk 2 large Eggs 7 cups All-Purpose Flour 1 ½ teaspoons Salt ⅓ cup Butter, melted 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract 4 cups Confectioners’ Sugar Canola or Peanut Oil for deep frying Directions: Activate the yeast by placing it in a medium size bowl and combining it with the warm water and the sugar. Set aside for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. With a mixer, beat the eggs until they are smooth, and then add in the evaporated milk and vanilla extract. (If you have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, use that. If not, use any mixer that you have.) Slowly add in half of the flour and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the yeast mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in the melted butter until completely incorporated. Slowly add the rest of the flour and when it is all incorporated, beat with the stand mixer and paddle attachment for 7 or 8 minutes. If you don’t have the paddle attachment, turn out the mixture on a floured surface and knead by hand for 10-15 minutes to allow the gluten to form. Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean cloth and place it into the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Line a large platter or cookie sheet with paper towels and set aside. In a Dutch oven, add 4 inches of the oil and heat it to 350℉. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out the amount that you want to cook until it is ¼” thick and cut it into 2 ½” squares. Drop the squares one at the time into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute. Fry them in batches so they are not crowded in the pan. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the paper towels. Then drop them individually into a paper bag that has at least a cup of confectioners’ sugar in it, close the bag and shake to cover the beignets with sugar, and serve immediately. Be sure to read my article called The 6 Best Oils for Doughnuts| Advice From a 50-Year Cook, to learn more about oils used to make beignet and other donuts. Can You Make Beignets Out Of Canned Biscuits? According to the Pillsbury website, you can make beignets out of canned biscuits. Just follow these simple directions: Separate the biscuits on a floured surface and cut each one into 4 parts. Drop those pieces of canned biscuit into a Dutch oven with 4 inches of oil heated to 350℉ and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are puffed up and golden brown. Last, drop them into a paper bag containing confectioners’ sugar, close, and shake. Serve immediately. These beignets will be tasty and will taste very close to the real thing! Can You Buy Beignet Mix? Cafe Du Monde sells beignet mix and their coffee either in-store or online. Their prices and shipping information are included for your convenience. However, their products are also sold at many of your local stores, including Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, and World Market, and are offered online here at Amazon. Check Latest Price But, you do have options. If you cannot find beignet mix in your local grocery or chain stores, just go to Amazon or the Cafe Du Monde website and place your order. How To Experience Beignets If Travel To New Orleans Is Not Possible If you would like to have beignets and cannot travel to New Orleans, there are options for you. Even though New Orleans is famous for beignets from Cafe Du Monde, there are places all over the country that make and sell beignets. All you have to do is search online to find those places. If you have never tried beignets and are planning to vacation at one of the Disney theme parks, they feature a Mickey-shaped beignet that is just as good as those from New Orleans. Packages of beignet mix are available for order from Cafe Du Monde, or take a look in your local grocery or supermarket because many of them, including chain stores like Wal-Mart, sell the mix so that you can make and enjoy beignets at home. One final option is to make beignets from scratch by using this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company or the recipe listed above for homemade beignets. What Was The Original Beignet? The beignet is a French doughnut that is believed to have been introduced to the New Orleans area by the French Acadians who were removed from their homes in Canada during the mid-1700s and deported to various parts of the United States, many to the New Orleans area. The beignet differs from our familiar round doughnuts because they are a square yeast doughnut that is fried and immediately dipped into a container of powdered sugar and served with cafe au lait which is a strong coffee with chicory that is served with half coffee and half hot milk. Cafe au Lait was also introduced to the New Orleans area by the Acadians along with the coffee and chicory that is so popular in that part of the country. The French during their civil war began adding chicory to their coffee because coffee was so scarce and by roasting and grinding the roots of the endive plant and adding it to their coffee as an extender plus it added flavor and an almost chocolatey taste that was very pleasant to their coffee. Thanks for stoppin' by! Jelly Grandma For more, don't miss How To Store Leftover Beignets (Short and Long Term).