Beignets

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast  (or 1 T of the bagged yeast from Hipermas)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
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 another bowl, beat the 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 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 at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over the beignets.

I have always enjoyed eating Beignets with my friends.  My assignment for class tomorrow is to talk about a tradition from my state.  So I am talking about a few things from Louisiana.  Since I could not treat the whole class to Coffee Call or Cafe Du Monde, I decided to learn to make beignets.  I had no idea how it would turn out, but it turned out well.  The are not quite as good as beignets in Louisiana, but they are close.  Matt, Haley and I enjoyed the beignets when they were hot!  These are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.