While working on my current WIP one of the characters is cooking and she wanted to share her recipe with my readers today. So I hope you enjoy this treat.
Lucinda’s Beignets
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- ½ cup granulate sugar
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 7 cups bread flour (or you can substitute all-purpose flour)
- ¼ cup shortening
- Nonstick spray
- Oil for deep-frying
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl (stand up mixer with dough hook), beat eggs, salt, and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. (if dough doesn’t rise immediately to top when dropped in, the oil isn’t hot enough.)
Add the confectioners’ sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.
Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Slid squares into oil slowly to avoid splattering. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, for 2-3 minutes until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners’ sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly. Serve while still warm.
Unused dough can be kept for up to 1 week in refrigerator. Just punch down when it rises. Also, you can freeze dough; roll and cut pieces before freezing.
Leanne Tyler 