Cafe Du Monde Beignets

I've been wanting to make beignets for a couple of years now.  Ever since I was reading a wonderful book series where the characters would sit outside the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans and eat warm beignets, licking the powdered sugar off their fingers.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  Okay, confession time... the book is a smutty vampire series and the characters were hunky vampires and I couldn't stop picturing myself licking powdered sugar off of their fingers.  But no one needs to know this information about me so forget that I just said that =o)

Beignets are a deep fried pastry similar to donuts and most commonly served dusted with powdered sugar.  They are also the official state donut of Louisiana.  Cafe Du Monde, a coffee shop on Decatur Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans,is famous for it's cafe au lait and for it's beignets.

I totally get why they are famous.  They are outstanding.  And I can only imagine how tastier they are sitting in the Cafe Du Monde people watching (and licking the powdered sugar off of hunky vampires fingers.)   =o)

Cafe Du Monde Beignets

Source: The Food Channel

* 1 cup warm milk (about 105 to 115 degrees F)

* 1 package dry yeast

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 2 medium eggs

* 1/4 cup butter, melted

* 1 tsp. salt

* 3 cups (or more) all purpose flour

* oil for deep frying

* powdered sugar

Combine milk and yeast in a large bowl; let stand until yeast dissolves (about 5 minutes).  Whisk in eggs and melted butter.  Whisk in sugar.  Add 3 cups flour and the salt and stir to form a moist, sticky dough.

Kneed dough on floured work surface, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Form into a ball.  Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in bowl.  Cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or large, deep pan until about 325 degrees.

Transfer dough to floured work surface and punch dough down.  Cover with kitchen towel and let stand for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle dough with flour.  With a rolling pin, roll out dough into a 12 inch square.  (Mine wasn't so square)  =o)

Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares.  (If you made your dough a 12 inch square, cut into 4 equal strips.  Then into 6 equal strips.  Totaling 24 squares.)

Working in batches, fry dough in hot oil until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer beignets to a paper towel lined baking sheet and generously sprinkle with powdered sugar.

They are absolutely delicious when warm!

I made these while my kids were outside playing with their friends.  They all came in and their eyes bugged when they say them on the counter.  Everyone grabbed one and went out to the backyard.  I could hear them oohhing and aahhing about how yummy they were. 

  

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