Beignet Recipe, pronunciation, and description by bunsinmyoven.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the description of a beignet? ›

As for what it is, beignets can most simply be described as French doughnuts. Beignets are made with a yeasted, sweetened dough that, after being allowed to rise, is cut into squares, fried, and liberally doused in powdered sugar. They are light, airy, pillowy pastries.

French beignets are usually round, with a lighter, airier texture because they're made with puffy choux pastry. Modern versions are typically filled with jam or dusted with sugar. New Orleans-style beignets are made of heartier yeasted dough in a square shape.

The texture of donuts and beignets is different due to the ingredients used. While both of these pastries fall on the side of light and fluffy, donuts are typically more dense than beignets. This is in part because of the difference in the dough; donuts aren't made with choux pastry like beignets.

Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French. They were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists, from "the old mother country", also brought by Acadians, and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking.

Have you ever had a beignet? These sweet squares of fried dough buried in powdered sugar are a staple of New Orleans food culture, with tourists making the trek to the famous Café du Monde just for beignets and coffee.

The concept is simple – dough is fried then covered with mounds of powdered sugar – but the result is extraordinary. When served hot, they are absolute perfection, especially when accompanied by café au lait or chocolate milk.

Beignets are square, puffy, deep-fried doughnut-like pastries that are covered in powdered sugar and synonymous with New Orleans. Beignets are served at various times of the day in New Orleans, including for breakfast, dessert or as an afternoon or midnight snack.

Beignets – Traditional New Orleans fried dough covered in powdered sugar and served fresh from the fryer. These chewy, yet airy sweet treats are best served with a cup of hot coffee.

Beignets are great but there's only so much you can do with fried dough and powdered sugar. A beignet (or ben-yaat-ee, or ben-yeti) isn't a funnel cake by any stretch, but the end result is at least similar.

Beignets really are best served fresh, but if you have any leftover you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or even freeze them for 1-2 months. Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm.

Why are beignets served in threes? ›

At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”

a fritter or doughnut.

Beignets are a donut, so they taste like a donut! But with a bit more yeast risen texture. The flavor on the inside is not as sweet as a traditional donut and they have larger holes in the center since they puff up more. But the mountain of powdered sugar that gets sprinkled on top makes them as sweet as can be!