We can find these beignets in so many countries with different names such as:
Bolas de berlim which are traditional Portuguese donuts, filled with pastry cream and dusted with powdered sugar.
German Berliner donuts that are filled with fruits preserve or jam and dusted with powdered sugar.
Bamboloni that are Italian doughnuts. rolled in sugar and filled with pastry cream or other different fillings.
Beignets of Mardi Gras or French “beignets de Mardi Gras” as some people call them in France.
These beignets are also called ” beignets de la plage” in French which means beach donuts, because they are very much sold in the beach. Beignets de la plage are also presents in Algeria.
In Brazil, these beignets are called Sonhos and they are filled with Dulce de leche.
For the pastry cream video recipe, please check this link: https://youtu.be/lJgSzyxXmGg
For the written recipe, please check here: https://www.myexcellentdegustations.com/french-pastry-cream/
Excellent Beignets
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp dry active yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Granulated sugar for rolling the beignets
Filling
- Pastry cream (please see recipe link above)
- Jam, Nutella
Instructions
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Put milk, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
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Add the egg and vanilla extract.
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Whisk everything for few seconds then place the hook attachment on the stand mixer.
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Add flour gradually and mix until everything is well incorporated.
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Add the softened butter and knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes or less until the dough is smooth. The dough is sticky at this point.
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Cover the dough in the bowl with plastic wrap and kitchen towel.
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Let rise until doubled in volume.
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Sprinkle flour on a working board.
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Dump the dough on the working board.
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Deflate it and form small balls, the size of a tangerine.
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Flatten the balls by hands into thin circles.
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Cover with kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in volume.
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Preheat vegetable oil in a pan.
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Fry the beignets until golden brown on both sides.
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Drain on a paper towel lined tray.
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Roll the beignets immediately in granulated sugar.
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Insert a knife into the side of each beignet and make a small incision.
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Fill the beignets with Nutella, pastry cream, jelly, Dulce de Lethe, you name it! Use a piping bag fitted with a star or round tip.
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Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- You can form the beignets in another way. Just roll out the dough thinly (about 1/2 inch thick), then use a round cookie cutter to cut out the beignets (your preferred size).
- The total time in this recipe didn’t include the rising time of the dough.
- You can add cinnamon or vanilla powder to granulated sugar used for rolling the beignets.
- You can dust powdered sugar on the beignets instead of rolling them in granulated sugar.
- Instead of making a small incision on the beignet, you can slice it across the center without going all the way (or make a big incision).