The Great Beignet Experiment.

Well on this nice, lazy, thunder-stormy sunday I decided to try to make these tasty looking beignet.

I have been suffering from feelings of incompetence to follow through and make these after I bought them on an impulse at the store. I wanted to make them from scratch but thought a mix could bolster my confidence for the first go round!

I have to give credit where credit is due, and the only reason I know of the beignet delight is not from thrilling New Orleans travel, but rather from Cafe Flora in Seattle, WA. Which to this day has the best food I have ever eaten out. Thank you for your excellence! My lady friend Mel and I got them there....a lot... they sat the little fried deliciousness in a vanilla cream sauce and put a delictable fruit coulis on top...ohhhhh...to be back in seattle right now...

So here it goes...

Thankfully we have a pot deep enough for deep-frying...

I rolled the dough out nice and thin (maybe too thin?)

All we had to measure the temperature of the oil (which was supposed to at 370 degrees), was a meat thermometer which only goes to 220! But I just decided once it maxed out that thermometer I would go for it. Perhaps hotter oil would make a puffier pastry? They did pop to the surface within 10 seconds which means the oil is hot enough...

mmm...hot oil...fried dough...mmmm...

Once they were golden brown, although still a bit flat I dusted them with powered sugar.

And, despite the flat nature of out little beignet, they were thoroughly enjoyed, as evidenced by my crazy-man husband! Next time we will try the cream and coulis too...