Known to the people of New Orleans as breakfast served with powdered sugar, beignets are bite-sized pieces of heaven. When they were first brought to Louisiana, they were fried fritters sometimes served with fruit. Now, there are simply fried pieces of dough dusted with powdered sugar. Spicy Southern Kitchen shows us how to make these wonderful delights at home.

Gather: 1½ cups lukewarm water, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 envelope active dry yeast, 2 eggs, slightly beaten, 1¼ teaspoons salt, 1 cup evaporated milk, 7 cups bread flour, ¼ cup shortening, vegetable oil, and 3 cups confectioners’ sugar.

To make, in a large bowl mix the water, sugar, and yeast, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, salt, and evaporated milk together, and then add the egg mixture to the yeast mixture. Mix well together and stir in 3 cups of flour. You will need to add the shortening at this point and stir in remaining flour.

IMAGE SOURCE: SPICY SOUTHERN KITCHEN

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Then, coat a large bowl with oil, transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for a minimum of 2 hours or you can place in the refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to fry the dough, pour roughly 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven and heat to 350°F. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Input about 4 squares at a time into the oil to fry. You will need to flip continuously until they are golden brown.

IMAGE SOURCE: SPICY SOUTHERN KITCHEN

IMAGE SOURCE: SPICY SOUTHERN KITCHEN

To ensure the dough is cooked through, test one. Once they are good, drain on a dish lined with paper towels and coat with powdered sugar.

IMAGE SOURCE: SPICY SOUTHERN KITCHEN

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