New Orleans-Style Beignets Recipe - The Best Beignet Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make beignet mix better? ›

You may have to add a little more or a little less water to achieve a good beignet mix dough, and you may have to make more than one batch to get the hang of it. Mix the ingredients with a spoon until the beignet mix is all mixed with the water. The dough should be relatively soft, like drop biscuit dough.

Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:

Really coat that countertop and rolling pin with flour- you do NOT want these babies to stick and they really, REALLY want to. Be sure that you oil is NIICCE and hot. We had our oil even 20 degrees hotter than the box called for and this really seemed to help the dough puff.

If it isn't, the beignets absorb too much oil and the powdered sugar melts when served and the beignet is greasy, sticky, and a hot, sweet mess of soggy dough. Cafe du Monde fries their beignets in cottonseed oil, even though most recipes call for vegetable oil.

You can also allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. The rising time is important because it helps create a beignet that is light, puffy, and pillowy once fried.

If it's not too sticky to knead, knead it on a floured surface or with the dough hook; if it's still pretty sticky, add another 1/2 cup flour. Knead until it's smooth and elastic, yet still tacky. Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.

As far as the oil goes, I really recommend peanut oil for frying pastries because it has a high smoke point and is almost flavorless–while canola oil is great because it has a high smoke point and it's good for your heart (um, am I talking about heart health in a post about deep-fried treats?), it can take on kind of a ...

Beignet (/ˈbɛnjeɪ/ BEN-yay, also US: /beɪnˈjeɪ, bɛnˈjeɪ/ bayn-YAY, ben-YAY, French: [bɛɲɛ]; lit. 'bump') is a type of fritter, or deep-fried pastry, made from pâte à choux, but may also be made from other types of dough, including yeast dough. In France there are at least 20 different versions.

New Orleans beignets are different from the classic French beignet in that they are made with yeast to help the dough rise. French beignets, meanwhile, are a choux pastry, a pastry that relies on moisture content instead of yeast to facilitate rising. Today, beignets are considered the official donut of Louisiana.

At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”

What kind of flour does Cafe du Monde use? ›

You can always purchase our beignet mix and make them at home with family and friends. What are the ingredients in your beignet mix? Enriched wheat flour, enriched barley flour, milk, buttermilk, salt, sugar, leavening (baking powder, baking soda, and/or yeast), natural and artificial flavoring.

Finally, the beignets made from dough that rested two hours and then was rolled, cut, and fried had more of a hollow center — light and airy and perfect for filling with Nutella etc, if you'd be so inclined.

Beignets really are best served fresh, but if you have any leftover you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or even freeze them for 1-2 months. Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm.

The main difference between a beignet and a zeppole is the dough as well as the shape. Zeppoles are looser than beignets, and the dough tends to be stickier. They're also made by drop spooning them into oil, whereas beignets have a very distinct square or rectangle shape.

If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast cells, and if it's too cold, the yeast will remain dormant and the dough won't rise. Because beignets are best eaten hot, I highly suggest serving these as soon as possible! Once they've sat, they become soggy and unappealing. This recipe requires bread flour.

Can you use Beignet Mix after the expiration date? We DO NOT recommend using our mix after the best by date. One of the ingredients is powdered milk, and it will sour after the best by date.

The dough is enriched and sticky but if it seems too wet you can add an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Because the dough is very rich it takes a little time to rise but don't be discouraged it's worth the wait. If you're not using the dough right away you can store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

The kitchen at Cafe Du Monde. I believe Cafe Du Monde sells around 30,000 beignets a day, give or take.