Tiana’s Beignet Recipe
In a large bowl, use a spoon to lightly mix together warm water, yeast, and sugar.
Whisk in evaporated milk and egg, then whisk in salt and one cup of flour.
Using a spoon, mix in the shortening and the rest of the flour. Do not over-mix. It will look dry and hold shape.
Transfer dough onto a board or clean counter that is well-floured to knead the dough. Flour your hands as well or they will stick to the dough. You cannot over-flour the board or your hands. Do not over-knead. It will be mostly smooth and should be in mostly one piece.
Lightly oil a bowl, and put your dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. This will take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. Taking a photo is a good idea to remember how big the dough started out.
In a cast iron frying pan, heat the vegetable oil to 380°F. Try to have enough oil to almost cover the beignets, and remember they will puff up.
Either while the oil is heating, or have a partner do it, put your dough back on the same surface you used to knead the dough. Again, make sure to flour the board and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it’s ¼ of an inch thick all the way across. If you roll it too thin, smush it back into a ball and try again. Cut the dough into largish squares, around two or three inches. If you have extra dough left over, you can try to reuse it by balling it up and re-rolling it to make an extra square or two. Remember, you cannot over-flour the board or the rolling pin*.
Once the oil is hot, you can start to fry the beignets. Do not fry them all at once, a few at a time is better.
Make sure to flip them over and keep the tops floating above the oil hot as well. Take them out when they’re a light golden brown and set them on a cooling rack, paper towel, or other disposable surface to dry.
Finally, cover with powdered sugar and honey.
Serve warm and enjoy!
*Do not flour the dough except for in the mixing part of the recipe. It will do nothing, and the dough will just absorb the flour. Always flour the tools instead. Knives and pastry-cutters generally do not need to be floured.
