Years and years ago I visited New Orleans. Such a memorable city- the scenery, art, the captivating architecture. Amidst all those wonderful things, those beautiful sights there was one place that to this day comes to mind most clearly. Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter. I can precisely recall eating sugary beignets & sipping on hot cafe au lait right there in one of the most charming cities I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. The weather was warm enough to make sweat bead on my brow but the donuts and coffee were so good that the heat didn’t do a damn thing to deter me. Those little beignets- so soft, airy, pillowy…they would just collapse under the pressure of my bite.  This past weekend I decided to cook up a batch- not only to bring me back to that time/ that particular memory but also to practice some donut making. Ill be producing Italian donuts (bombolini- yes, slightly different than a beignet) for Brian @ The James Beard dinner next week so I figured I should probably get more familiar with the whole process.

This recipe is fantastically simple and astoundingly delicious…just too too good. Accompanied by a hot mug of coffee, these beignets are most enjoyable while they are still fresh & warm.

Buttermilk Beignets

(from DamGoodSweet: Desserts To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style by David Guas & Raquel Pelzel)

Ingredients

Yield: Makes about 4 dozen beignets

Directions

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and sugar then set aside for 5 min.
2. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed using a dough hook until the ingredients have moistened (3-4 minutes). Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still wet & tacky (1-2 minutes longer). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set dough aside in a draft free spot for 1 hour.
3. Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temp of 375 over medium heat (this takes 20-30 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough shape round. Dust again and roll the dough into a 1/2 inch to 1/3 inch thick circle. Let the dough rest for a minute before using a chefs knife or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares (you should get about 48).
5. Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (dont overcrowd) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Before serving, toss them in confectioners sugar.