Share a Spoon - Fat Tuesday Beignets

 

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Share a Spoon
Deep Fry It Edition

This week's theme is compliments of the super fabulous Stephanie over at The Blue Zoo.  She's my most faithful Share a Spoon contributor.  There are several faithfuls, but Steph has participated in almost every edition.  She's really fond of the naughty edition though.  You know, sweets, chocolate, FRIED.  Which doesn't seem all that fair since she's a skinny bitch, but I'll let that slide.  Why?  Well, cause she works really hard at the skinny thing.
So...deep fried.  Wow!  I struggled this week.  We don't really do fried food, as I have stated previously.  As a matter of fact, Kamden saw me frying and literally gasped.  It was audible.  He said..."Um....are you FRYING something?"  I replied, "Yup!"  He said..."Mom, we don't do fried food."  I didn't want to burst his bubble and let him know that every time he eats Mickey D's he's eating fried food, so I just told him it was a special edition of Share a Spoon.
When he found out I was frying something similar to doughnuts all was forgiven!  I thought this week maybe I would fry up some veggies.  I do indulge every blue moon in the occasional side of fried squash, or fried pickles.  I could do that.  Then I thought better of it.  Then I thought...hey it's the South, there's the standard fried chicken.  Then I tossed out that idea.  Then it hit me...I mean, if I'm going to go to all the trouble of frying something, I might as well go for the gusto.  Combine my two favorite things.  Bread, and dessert.
It is after all Mardi Gras time, and Tuesday is FAT TUESDAY.  My favorite sweet treat of all times seriously has to be beignets.  There is nothing quite as fantastic as sitting at a table in NOLA, eating a freshly fried beignet and drinking fresh brewed chicory coffee.  If you've never experienced that, well....as a foodie?  Put it on your bucket list.  Seriously.
Mine aren't as wonderful as those, but.....they did certainly sate my craving for them.
Brandee's Fat Tuesday Beignets

1 ½ cups warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 package active yeast

2 extra large eggs

3 tablespoons room temperature butter

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

7 cups flour

Oil for frying

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

In countertop mixer add warm water, 2 Tbsps sugar and 1 tsp salt with yeast packet.  Allow to stand for ten minutes.  

Once yeast has foamed add in eggs, butter, milk, oil, sugar and almond extract.  Turn mixer on low.  Add three cups of flour.  Allow to mix on low until flour is incorporated and the mixture looks like cake batter (smooth and shiny).

  Add additional flour a cup at a time until incorporated.

Dough should be very sticky and soft.  Turn out onto a generously floured surface and knead softly into a ball.  

Transfer to an oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the dough and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator.  Turn out onto a generously floured surface.

Roll out with a floured rolling pin to roughly 1/4" thickness.

Cut into squares with a sharp knife or square cutter.  Then cut crosswise.

Preheat oil (I use peanut oil but canola or vegetable oil should work fine) in large frying pot or fryer to 350 degrees.  Carefully drop dough triangles in the hot oil.

Brown on both sides until nicely browned. Takes roughly 1.5 minutes per side.  Make sure you keep the oil temp even.  If these fry too quickly on the outside the inside will be doughy.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Pour some Confectioner's sugar in a brown paper lunch bag.  Shake warm beignets in the bag until coated with powdered sugar.
My husband is a big fan of cinnamon sugar so he wanted his that way.
Serve these warm with coffee or hot chocolate!
You can see from the picture above, there is very little grease on the paper towels.  That's the thing with frying food at the correct temperature.  If you make sure your oil is the right temp...food isn't greasy!  Use a thermometer! 

The boys told me I am a SUPERHERO for making these.  So THANKS for the theme Steph!  I am totally RockStar Mom (for today anyway)!
Now it's your turn.  Share your fried favorites!  Leave me some love and let me know what your want to see for themes!  Then go visit the linkers and find yourself some more deep fried inspiration!