Beignets

Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below are reprinted with permission from The 100 Greatest Cajun Recipes, by Jude W. Theriot (2006 Pelican Press). Never boring, Cajun dishes tend to burst with flavor and complex layers that linger in the memory long after the meal is finished. Theriot, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and one of the country's leading experts on Cajun cooking (he's authored six other books on the subject), created a collection here that fits those criteria while simultaneously keeping his recipes easy to prepare. The ingredients, for the most part, are nothing exotic, but the finished dish is always much greater than the sum of its parts. Click here for our full review of this book along with discount ordering links and more free sample Cajun recipes.

Lagniappe:
This is the early form of the donut! They are not glazed, but powdered to give them their sweetness. This is a puffed dough and is a great breakfast treat. It does take a little preparation time, but the time is well spent when the end product is obtained. When I was a kid, my grandmother used to make beignets, but she'd make them much larger, pan fry them in a very little bit of shortening, and then we'd butter them up and put pure cane syrup on them.

We called them "salty donuts" because they weren't sweet, and you had to put syrup on them. I guess we were comparing them to the sweet glazed donuts at the bakery. She would sprinkle them with the powdered sugar, but we liked them better with butter and cane syrup. Whether or not you make them smaller and deep fry them or whether you make them larger and pan fry the, this recipe is the same.

3 /2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons shortening 1/2 cup boiling water 1 package dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 cup milk 2 large eggs, well beaten shortening for greasing a mixing bowl 1 quart cooking oil 2 cups powdered sugar

Makes About 30 Beignets In a large mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, salt and sugar and use a wire whisk to stir well to make sure the mixture is well blended. Add the shortening to the flour and pour the boiling water over the shortening to make it begin to melt. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the dry yeast and the warm 1/4 cup of water until the yeast has dissolved. Then add it, the milk, and eggs to the flour bowl and, using your hands, mix until the dough begins to form and you can make the mixture into a ball. Place the ball in another bowl that has all its sides greased. Cover with a damp towel, set it aside, and let the mixture double in size. That will take about 1 hour. Remove the ball from the bowl, lightly dust it with flour, wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. When you are ready to cook, add the cooking oil to a deep fat fryer or large, deep skillet and bring the oil to 350°F. While the oil is getting hot, lightly flour a surface for rolling the dough. Place the ball of dough in the middle of the floured surface and roll it to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 2-inch triangles or rectangles. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown, then turn each beignet over and cook the other side until that is golden brown as well. They should puff up and gain a lot of volume. Remove to a plate that is covered with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar while the beignets are hot. Repeat the process until all the dough is fried. Serve hot.