Sunday, December 9, 2007

Bayou Dreaming: Beignets and Cafe Au Lait Ice Cream

If this were the perfect delicious life, I'd be able to wake up to a plate beignets from Cafe Du Monde, and a cup of cafe au lait...no Dunkin' Donuts for me. Unfortunately, Cafe Du Monde is a 2 hour flight away, and the cafe au lait would be cold by the time it reached me so a Get 'Em Girl had to improvise...

So, after kicking myself for not picking up a box of beignet mix the last time I was in New Orleans, I did what a Get 'Em Girl had to do...I got to creating. I came up with a beignet that was light and crispy, with a sweetness that was on point! The ice cream was really easy to make, I re-worked a recipe I already had for making ice cream before I purchased an ice cream maker...and it was bangin'!

Nola-Style Beignets

Ingredients
1 envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/8 cup vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil, for frying (Cafe Du Monde recommends cottonseed oil)
Confectioners' sugar

Directions
Combine yeast, warm water, and granulated sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let the yeast sit until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, egg, and milk to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed. Slowly begin adding half of the flour, until the dough begins to come together. Next, add the shortening and mix until it is incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix until most of it is incorporated.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead the dough, until the dough has a smooth and non-sticky surface. Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch strips, diagonal to the rectangle and place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet to let rise for about 40 minutes in a warm place.

(At this point you may be tempted to go onto JetBlue.com and purchase a ticket to New Orleans...but hold tight, it's worth it!)

When the dough has risen for the second time, heat 3-inches of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Carefully place the dough into the hot oil, two at a time, making sure not to smash or deflate them. Cook, until they are golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, remove and place on a paper towel-lined platter to drain. Cover beignets completely with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.

Makes about 2 dozen beignets

Cafe Au Lait Ice Cream

Ingredients
1/2 cup hot water
4 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 cups heavy cream
1 (14-ounce) can sweetend condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a large bowl, stir the hot water and coffee granules together until dissolved; allow to cool completely. Once cool, add the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix, with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Spoon into freezer-proof container and freeze until hardened.

Enjoy!


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