Beignets
Serve, of course, with piping hot cafe au lait made with Chicory Coffee.
Put the warm water into a large bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and a couple teaspoons of the sugar and stir until
thoroughly dissolved. Let proof for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the sugar, salt, eggs, and evaporated milk.
Gradually stir in 4 cups of the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and thoroughly blended. Beat in
the shortening, then add the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating it in with a spoon until it becomes too
stiff to stir, then working in the rest with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight in
a greased bowl.
Roll the dough out onto a floured board or marble pastry surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch, then cut it into
rectangles 2-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches with a sharp knife. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 360 degrees F. Fry the
beignets about 3 or 4 at a time until they are puffed out and golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per
batch. Turn them over in the oil with tongs once or twice to get them evenly brown, since they rise to the surface
of the oil as soon as they begin to puff out. Drain each batch, place on a platter lined with several layers of paper
towels, and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until they're all done.
Serve 3 beignets per person, sprinkling heavily with powdered sugar, and serve hot with cafe au lait
HA!.