A Delicious Dessert With a Mysterious History
Posted by Nora
Tuesday February 21, 2012Did you know that states have official doughnuts? I sure didn’t. Okay, not all states have official doughnuts, but you know the ones that make the list are going to be good. Like the official state doughnut of Louisiana, the Beignet. These crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, deep-fried powder-sugared treats might have your arteries frowning, but your mouth will be smiling.
The history of beignets is a little unclear, and many have their own theories of where they originated. Some claim they were brought to the U.S. from France with colonists in the 18th century. Others speculate they came down from Nova Scotia with the Acadians. The name also has a few different debated origins. It clearly mimics the French word for doughnut and fritter, “beignet,” but also sounds similar to the Celtic word “bigne” meaning “to rise.” It has also been tied to the French word “baigner” meaning to swim, which reflects how they are cooked– swimming in hot oil.
These history-rich treats are a classic in New Orleans. Traditionally they’re served as squares, but if you’re up for a challenge, you can play around with different shapes while they’re swimming in the oil. In honor of Mardi Gras, we wanted to share this special recipe by Dede Wilson from A Baker’s Field Guide to Donuts, which we will be publish this fall. Try your hand at them, and do let us know how you enjoy them!
Recipe: Beignets
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup warm water (110° to 115°F)
- One 0.25-ounce package active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Flavorless vegetable oil for deep-frying, such as canola
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- 1. Place the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.
- 2. Melt the shortening with the milk in a microwave or a small saucepan on the stovetop, then cool to lukewarm (110° to 115°F). Add the shortening mixture, granulated sugar, egg, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until combined and smooth. The mixture will have some body but will still be very wet and loose. Stir in another 1 cup of the flour until the mixture becomes a slightly sticky, elastic dough, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour only if necessary. Knead well by beating vigorously with the spoon or spatula or use the flat paddle or dough hook of a stand mixer. The mixture should be elastic, yet slightly sticky and not dry.
- 3. Scrape the dough into a buttered bowl, making sure there is plenty of headroom. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm, draft-free location to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- 4. Generously flour two rimmed baking sheet pans. Gently punch down the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a large rectangle of dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough with a pizza wheel into 3 x 2-inch rectangles. Place the rectangles, well spaced, on the prepared pans. Let rise in a warm, draft-free location until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- 5. Line two rimmed baking sheet pans with a triple layer of paper towels. Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot or deep-fat fryer to 350° to 355°F. When the oil is hot enough, fry a few beignets at a time; do not crowd. Fry until light golden brown, about 1 minute, flip them over, and fry for about 1 minute more, until light golden brown on the other side as well. Using a slotted spoon, remove each beignet from the oil and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining beignets.
- 6. While still warm, toss the beignets in a bowl of confectioners’ sugar, arrange on a platter, then shower with more confectioners’ sugar.
Number of servings (yield): About 20 beignets
In 17th century English cookbooks, they’re called ‘bennets’. Different name, same great fritter fun!