It’s basically a requirement when you go to New Orleans that you stop at Café du Monde and order a beignet and a café au lait. They are famous for both of these things as they should be because their beignets are absolute perfection. Their café au lait is too but we’ll get to that another day.
I never made it there during my first trip to New Orleans so I made sure to stop there during my second trip for our wedding. My husbands cousin Hannah was with me and my bridesmaid/bff Delana. Hannah gave us a little tip before we indulged in the delicious treat. She said “Don’t breathe in when you take a bite.” Well, guess what I did? I breathed and almost choked to death on powdered sugar. So, now I pass this wisdom off to you. Beware!
We sat in that cafe for a while, just taking in the sights. It really is a wonderful city so full of history and life. I love it so much. The recipe below isn’t quite the same as the ones at Café du Monde but when I eat them it takes me right back to that little place with my girls, watching street performers and just enjoying the little things.
These are so delicious and simple to make. The dough goes together quickly then you let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, roll it out, cut it up and throw it in some hot oil. Couldn’t be easier. I guarantee happiness to whoever you feed these to.
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 3 1/2 – 3 3/4 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
- vegetable or peanut oil for frying
- powdered sugar for dusting
- Combine the yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the salt, egg, and evaporated milk. Add about half of the flour and mix on low until it starts to come together, then add the shortening and incorporate.
- Add the remaining flour, a little at a time until most of it is incorporated and dough is tacky but not sticky. Continue to mix, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and still somewhat tacky. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, loosely covered and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick. Cut into 2" wide strips. Going the opposite direction, cut 2" strips again, making squares. Place squares on a floured baking sheet and allow to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
- Add 2 - 3 inches of oil to a large saucepan and heat to 375°. Place 2-3 beignets into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to smash or deflate them. When they are golden brown, flip them over until golden brown on the other side (They go pretty quickly so start checking them right after they go into the oil). Remove to paper towel to drain. Generously dust with powdered sugar before serving.
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