Hope you're having a fabulous day everyone! How about you make your day 10x better by making these Moroccan inspired beignets. These beignets are a mixture of 2 ideas: Moroccan sfenj (basically a fried donut) and New Orleans beignets. This recipe requires very few ingredients and all of them are staples you already have in your kitchen. It's super soft and it's coated in a light cinnamon sugar mixture making it pleasantly sweet that boosts its overall flavor. I love having this for breakfast; it's super versatile and if you don't like starting off your day with sugar you can skip the sugar mixture and drizzle honey over it or dip it in jam. It tastes AMAZING either way! It might seem intimidating to make at first glance but I promise you it's fairly easy, just be brave. You got this :)
Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
This recipe only calls for 10 ingredients, one of which is already water. These ingredients are pretty simple yet can create such a wonderful treat!
• Active dry yeast*
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Milk*
• All-purpose flour
• Softened butter
• Ground cinnamon
• Water
Ingredient Notes*
- If you're scared to use yeast, no worries! I have some tips down below if you'd like to learn how to use it properly and some tricks to help you nail this recipe
-Allow the milk to become room temperature before starting this recipe.
One of the things that could seem intimidating about working with dough is yeast. It literally can make or break this entire recipe. BUT it's also fairly simple once you know how to use it properly. When you get the hang of it, it will not be scary anymore... trust me on this one.
Working with Yeast:
For this recipe, working with yeast is fairly simple just follow the tips below and you'll be good to go!
Tip #1
Use lukewarm water- Using lukewarm water is the best way to activate your yeast properly. Water too hot and your yeast might die, too cold and your yeast might take ages to activate.
Tip #2
If it's too hot to touch, it will probably be too hot for the yeast too- It's better to be safe than sorry! Temperature is crucial when working with yeast.
Tip #3
If it's not bubbling or turning foamy throw it away- If you don't see the water, sugar, and yeast mixture starting to foam or bubble at the top after 15-20 minutes, it;s best to throw it away. This could mean that your yeast is expired or dead and will not work if you continue on with the recipe.
Happy baking! :)
If you make this be sure to tag us on Instagram @sarahskitchenofficial
-Sarah <3
Recipe Details:
Yield: 12 beignets
Time spent
Prep time: 2 hr 20 min | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 2 hr 30 min
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 /4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp milk
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
Vegetable oil for frying
CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE
½ cup granulated sugar
3-4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
In a medium bowl, pour warm water and sprinkle your yeast on top of it. Add the sugar and give the liquid a good stir. After a couple of minutes it should start to look cloudy. Let it sit at room temperature for around 5-15 minutes (depending on the temperature of your environment). You will know it’s ready when the mixture has turned foamy.
Add your salt, egg, vanilla extract, and butter. Then mix until everything is well incorporated.
Add the flour to the wet ingredients and mix. When it becomes dough-like, take it out of the bowl and knead it. Then put it back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and allow for it to rise (for about an hour).
After it has risen, take it out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about ½ an inch thick. Cut out the dough into large circle shapes with a smaller circle in the middle of it using a cookie cutter (donut shape).
Place the donut shapes on a baking sheet or surface with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let it proof for about 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on your environmental conditions.
Using a deep saucepan or large frying pan, pour oil to about 3-4 inches deep in order to allow the beignets to float on the surface of the oil. Preheat the oil to around medium heat (365F), and slowly place the beignets into the heated oil using a slotted spoon or if you're super careful you can get away with slipping the donut into the pan using your hand. Fry the donuts, three or four at a time depending on the size of your pan, in the oil 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown, turning the donuts once halfway through. After they're done, place the beignets on a paper towel for excess oil to drain. Repeat with all the dough.
After frying all the beignets, coat them in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm.
Tips
Make sure all ingredients are room temperature before starting.
Please make sure your yeast is not expired before you start, this may ruin the end result.
When allowing the dough to proof, make sure that your environment is pretty warm (around 75ºF-90ºF as this is the optimal temperature where yeast activity is at its peak). Too low of a temperature and you might have to wait a lot longer for your dough to rise, too high of a temperature and your dough may potentially not rise at all.