DROP BEIGNETS
My history with beignets is a lengthy one. Stretched from the start as a Pastry Cook at Herringbone Santa Monica – where they were called donuts yet cut into squares and tasted as light and fluffy as any beignet this side of Ocean Avenue, to Bottega Louie – where they were called beignets and looked and tasted like any jelly or oily Nutella filled donut you’d get at a Yum Yum’s at 2 AM. Being in New Orleans, however, where beignets are synonymous with humidity, I’ve tried several, including ones at the celebrated Café du Monde (City Park not French Quarter) and the cryptically named Café Beignet to name a few. All good in their own right; using a sweet yeast dough – not a pâte à choux as its history informs – fried up to golden perfection then smothered in heaping mounds of powdered sugar so much to choke you if inhaled on first bite. Glorious.
But, as Okabe Rintarō says, ‘History dictates that it is the wise who are most foolish’ (look it up, you’ll love me for it), and with that, the antiquity of recipes learned and followed from the kitchens and commissaries of LA in addition to eating my weight in beignets through the streets of NOLA serve only as inspiration, not purpose. I’m feeling dramatic if you hadn’t figured it out. My Drop Beignets are made also from a sweetened yeast dough which proofs mostly overnight and, when fried up, result in a fritter with crisp, burnished brown skin and a soft, fluffy interior. Yes, they take time to make, even so, if history does teach us anything, good things do come to those who wait.
PREP/FRY TIME: 1 Hour 15 Minutes (13 Hours Inactive)
Makes 3 Dozen Beignets
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable Oil for Frying
Cooking Spray for Greasing
5 Cups plus 1 Cup for Dusting – All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup – Granulated Sugar
1 Packet - Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast
2 Cups – Whole Milk
1 Tsp – Table Salt
1 ½ Tsp – Pure Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
¼ Cup (½ Stick) – Unsalted Butter, Room Temp
4 Cups – Water
2 Cups – Powered Sugar
THE NITTY GRITTY
Grease a clean 30 qt mixing bowl with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl – preferably 16 qt or larger – add flour, sugar and yeast; whisk to combine.
In a 2 or 3 qt saucepan, warm milk at medium heat till temperature reaches 120° F; using a kitchen thermometer to check temp. Remove from heat; whisk in eggs one at a time vigorously. Add sugar, salt and vanilla; continue whisking till fully blended.
Add wet ingredients to dry; with a bowl scraper, combine ingredients using a folding motion till an unrelenting sticky dough forms. Slather butter onto dough; continue to fold till butter dissipates.
Scrape out dough into greased mixing bowl; cover tightly with cling film. Place in fridge, undisturbed, for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, dough will have doubled in size; lookin like cold oatmeal but spongy.
Scrape dough onto a well-floured surface; dusting dough lightly but evenly with more flour. Proceed to knead dough by folding and pressing down with the palm of your hand. Flour hands and surface when dough gets too sticky. Scrape excess back into boule. Repeat this process for about 2 minutes.
Place dough onto a baking sheet greased with more cooking spray; place in oven to proof.
OVEN PROOFING – Do NOT turn oven on. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan or kettle. Position racks in the middle and bottom of oven. Place baking sheet with dough, uncovered, on middle rack and a Pyrex baking dish, or 9” x 13” cake pan, on the bottom. Pour hot water carefully into Pyrex dish; close oven door immediately. Proof dough for approximately one hour. No peaking. Dough will have expanded; lookin like a shiny, dimply blob.
In a medium saucepan or large pot, pour enough oil till it comes about 2 inches up the side; heat at medium high till shimmering.
Fry beignets in batches. No overcrowding. Using two tablespoons, scoop a generous amount of dough with one spoon; using the other to drop into hot oil. Spoonfuls of dough will puff and float to top the second they hit oil. Fry on each side for about 1 – 2 minutes, or till beignets look crisp and golden.
Transfer beignets to a baking sheet with a wired rack lined underneath with parchment or paper towels to catch oily excess; keep warm in a 200° F oven while frying next batch.
Shamelessly shower copious amounts of powdered sugar over beignets with a large spoon before serving and enjoy.
Store any uneaten beignets in an airtight container, or storage bags, (air removed) for 1 – 2 days at room temp if to be eaten soon after; otherwise, store in fridge for 3 – 5 days. Reheat beignets in microwave for 10 – 15 seconds to soften.
For longer storage, place uneaten beignets in an airtight container lined with parchment, or wax paper, (air removed) for up to 2 months. Defrost uncovered on a tray for 15 minutes. Reheat beignets in microwave for 10 – 15 second intervals to soften.
NOTE: Like any leftover fried donut, beignets will lose their crispness; however will be soft, spongy and ready for dipping in your coffee or hot chocolate.
MARCH 3, 2021
