Beignet? More like ben-YAY! (We hope you read that in an Oprah voice.) We love traditional beignets, courtesy of Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, but we're taking our inspiration for this recipe from a Los Angeles local spot.
- 1 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 sticks butter room temp
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg
- 2 inch piece vanilla bean scraped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 gallon fryer oil
- 3/4 cup chocolate almond spread
We have a crush on the chocolate hazelnut beignets at Bottega Louie in Los Angeles. So when we saw this recipe, we knew we had to try it, subbing in a chocolate-almond spread for the raspberry jam. Dare to be different? Honestly, though, if you can pipe it in (or poke a hole with a chopstick and jam it in), you can fill these delectables with just about anything.
FYI – There’s a lot of downtime in this recipe (minutes used for proofing and rising and such). Just fair warning.
1. In a medium bowl, mix yeast and warm water and set aside for 10 minutes to proof. Then stir in all-purpose flour, put in a warm place, and watch it double in size. (Not really, I guess you may have other things to do. But it will (if all goes well) double in size while you’re doing those things.)
2. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 8-10 minutes. Lower the speed of the mixer and add eggs individually. Once the mixture is smooth, add vanilla and salt. Blend those in, and then add the bread flour, mixing on low speed until combined.
3. Switch to a dough hook attachment and mix the dough into a ball. This is always the part that makes me realize how amazing my Kitchenaid mixer is. Next, stir in the yeast mixture (it’ll all look a little gummy) and mix thoroughly.
4. Put the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic, and allow to proof for between an hour and an hour and a half. Perfect time to clean up the big mess you just made in the kitchen. Or not. Live your life, girl.
5. Once your dough has risen, flour a cool surface and roll the dough out to about an inch thickness. Cut rounds and place them on a floured cookie sheet to rest for another 20 to 30 minutes. (I told you there was a lot of downtime)
6. When the timer goes off, drop the beignets into oil that has been heated to about 365/370 degrees. Bake until golden brown on both sides, about three minutes. Remove them from the oil and poke a hole in the side just large enough to pipe the filling in. (And then pipe that filling in! Nutella, jam, custard – your options are virtually endless)
7. Roll them in granulated sugar and serve warm.
I forgot to count how many beignets this made before everyone ate them, but the Food Network recipe says approximately 24, so let’s go with that.
Comments