Beignet ( , <small>also</small> , ; ) is a deep-fried pastry of French origin. It is commonly made from pâte à choux, but can also be made using rice flour (rice beignets) or yeast-leavened batters. Beignets can be served in a variety of preparations, the most common being dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Choux pastry is versatile and is prepared differently by culture. Other variations include savory fillings such as meat and cheese fillings.

Origins

thumb|upright|Beignets from [[Haute-Savoie]]

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", as well as by Acadians, and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking.

Deep-fried yeast dough has been part of culinary tradition since at least the Middle Ages. The Spanish refer to this type of creation as "buelos", which likely shares etymology with the Celtic word for deep-fried yeast dough, "bigne".

Preparation

thumb|upright| Beignets before frying

Ingredients used to prepare beignets typically include:

  • Lukewarm water
  • Granulated sugar
  • Evaporated milk
  • Bread flour
  • Shortening
  • Oil or lard, for deep-frying
  • Confectioners' sugar
  • Yeast (for leavened batters)

thumb|upright|Piping choux pastry dough for beignets

Preparation varies by type. For yeast-leavened beignets,

the ingredients are combined and a dough has formed, it is rolled out and then sliced into squares which are deep-fried for two to three minutes. The result is a puffy, golden brown pastry.

See also

  • List of choux pastry dishes
  • List of doughnut varieties
  • (Bulgarian)

References

Further reading

  • Yves Thuriès, French Pastry,
  • Rosana G. Moreira et al., Deep Fat Frying: Fundamentals and Applications,
  • - Szalagos fánk (Hungarian doughnut)
  • Tolófánk - Hungarian choux paste beignet