New Orleans Style Vs French
Beignets are basically the French version of a doughnut. They are made with choux dough (like churros) usually cut into a square shape, fried, and dusted in powdered sugar. French colonists of the 18th century brought Beignets to New Orleans. Today beignets are still a staple in New Orleans, although they are usually made with a yeast dough rather than choux dough. My Star Spangled Beignets are using the yeast dough version and cut into star shapes. Beware, these babies are addicting!
Star Spangled Beignets
Star Spangled Beignets are a fun twist I took on Beignets for the 4th of July! However this recipe is so versatile for any holiday. Valentines Day? Use a heart shape! St. Patricks Day? Try a clover shape! It’s a fun easy way to be creative and festive for a holiday party, or for the kiddos! It’s also a cute surprise gift to drop off to someone, simply add to a paper bag and tie it off with some twine!
Linked below are some star shaped cookie cutters! As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This link will reward me monetarily (at no cost to you) when you use it to make qualifying purchases.
Wilton Set of 6 Nesting Star Cutters
Beignets
- Yield: 2 dozen 1x
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup lukewarm water
- 2 1⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1⁄2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 1⁄2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- Paper bag or large bowl for powdered sugar coating
Instructions
- Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, beat the egg, salt and milk together. Mix egg mixture with the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour. Add half of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the butter and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray.
- Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oil in a deep-fryer or dutch oven to 350 degrees F. Add the confectioners’ sugar to a paper bag or bowl and set aside.
- Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and use a star shaped cookie cutter to cut into stars of desired size.
- Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, toss them into the bag of confectioners’ sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.
- Enjoy! They are best while still warm 🙂
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