Ingredients
1cuplukewarm water
¼cupgranulated sugar
½tspsalt
1large egg,room temperature and beaten
2tbspbutter,softened
½cupevaporated milk
4cupbread flour,or all purpose flour
3tspinstant active dry yeast
vegetable oil,for cooking, use enough oil to completely cover beignets when frying
powdered sugar,for dusting
Preparation
If using a mixer with a dough hook, place water, sugar, salt, egg, butter, evaporated milk, flour, and yeast in the bowl. Beat until smooth.
If using a bread machine, add liquid ingredients, then dry ingredients with yeast last on top of everything else. Select dough setting and press Start, allow to run only until dough cycle has finished. Do not bake.
Turn the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and form into an oval. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until well chilled or overnight.
To prepare dough, remove from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured board to half-inch thickness. Cut into approximately 3-inch squares, triangles, or circles.
In a deep fryer or large pot, heat vegetable oil to 365 degrees F. Fry the beignet, 2 or 3 at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown on both sides, turning them in the oil with tongs once or twice to get them evenly brown.
Beignets will rise to the surface of the oil as soon as they begin to puff. If the beignets don’t rise to the top immediately when dropped into the oil, the oil is not hot enough.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels, then sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar. Serve hot.
