If you've visited the French Quarter in New Orleans chances are you know what a beignet (pronounced ben yay) is - an irresistible deep-fried square doughnut dusted with powdered sugar.
The renown Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter has been serving up golden-fried beignets since 1862.
This beignet recipe was adapted to gluten-free cooking from a recipe which appears in "The South- The Beautiful Cookbook" by Mara Reid Rogers and Jim Auchmutey- French Quarter Beignets."
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Refrigerate dough overnight: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours, 35 minutes
Yield: About 12 beignets
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup gluten-free cake mix reserved for kneading into batter (use your favorite gluten-free yellow or white cake mix)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup lukewarm water
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/6 cup half-and-half (light cream) OR dairy-free substitute
- Peanut, canola or coconut oil for deep-frying
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- Extra tapioca flour or dry cake mix for rolling out dough
Preparation:
- Combine 1 3/4 cups gluten-free cake mix, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor or large mixing bowl. Pulse or whisk to mix.
- Add water, egg and light cream and mix until thoroughly combined. The batter should be thick and shaggy. If it's too thin add more cake mix, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Scrape batter onto a cutting board liberally dusted with gluten-free dry cake mix or tapioca flour. Use your hands to knead enough added cake mix (from the 1/4 cup reserved) or tapioca flour into the batter to form a ball. Place the ball in an oiled bowl with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to fry your beignets, take the dough from the refrigerator and place on cutting board that's liberally dusted with tapioca flour. Punch the dough down and work in enough tapioca flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the board. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and use a sharp knife, dipped in flour, to cut 2-inch squares or diamonds.
- Use a floured spatula to place the cut pieces on a floured baking sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes.
- Pour 2 inches of oil in a heavy saucepan or in an electric skillet. Heat to 375 degrees F. Use a spatula to transfer the beignets to the frying pan. Deep fry beignets in small batches. Turn when golden and fry just until second side is light, golden brown. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer beignets to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Liberally dust with gluten-free confectioners sugar. Serve hot.
Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.
