Beignets & Louisiana Inspired Recipes

cajun style sheet pan 4 with beignets helping of happiness- insta.JPG.png

We fell in love with Louisiana last year when we went to Caddo Lake and New Orleans for spring break. The Bayou was so unique and beautiful, and NOLA has a charm and history like no other! We love the cooking, the melting pot of culture and the fun traditions we learned about there. These recipes are Southern cooking at its finest! They would be the perfect spread for a Mardi Gras Party.

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Beignets

Ingredients:

5 3/4 cup flour (if it's super humid outside, you may want to add a tablespoon or two)

2 cups water

1 egg (you can leave this out if you need a vegan option)

1/2 cup veg oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp salt

*1 TBSP yeast

1 cup powdered sugar ( to use as a topping after cooking)

*just a little side note on the yeast. Red Star is my favorite. I buy it in bulk and keep it in the freezer. I've never had a problem with it getting old.

bottle of vegetable oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:

There's a couple ways you can do this. My favorite is using the bread maker on the dough cycle. I like doing this because I just dump everything in (flour, water, egg, 1/2 cup veg oil, sugar, salt and yeast) and come back to it after an hour and a half.

If you're using a bread maker- toss it all in and put it on the dough cycle. If you're using a mixer, put everything in the mixer and let it work with a dough hook for 30 minutes. Then let it rise for one hour.

When dough is finished rising, pour oil into a pot on the stove until it is about 3-4 inches deep. Turn heat to medium high heat. While the oil is heating, cut dough into 2x2 inch squares. When the oil is hot and ready (you can sprinkle a few drops of water into the oil. If it spits and sputters, it is hot enough), put the dough squares into the pot, taking care to make sure there is a little space between each of the beignets. You don’t want to put them all in at once. Using a metal slotted spoon, turn the beignets when they are a deep golden brown on the bottom. Fry the other side until it is the same color. Scoop beignets out of the oil bath with the slotted spoon and place on paper towels to cool. Sprinkle or dump powdered sugar on top (depending on how sweet you like your beignets!). When we were at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana, they really piled the sugar on top!! Enjoy warm. We love to eat beignets with a cup full of fresh squeezed orange juice.

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Other Louisiana Inspired Recipes

Tap on any of the images below for more Southern recipes: cornbread, shrimp and grits, cajun style sheet pan, croissant french toast with berry cream sauce, and best ever biscuits.