Love the flavors of New Orleans but missing out on Mardi Gras this year? Have no fear! This week I’m sharing the recipe for these New Orleans Mardi Gras Beignets!
I’ve been to New Orleans twice and my life and I loved every single moment of both trips. Both times I went down, I went for Mardi Gras and I just had the best time with my friends. I’m counting down the days until Thomas and I can go together.
The music, the parades, the food, the art, the markets… oh I love so many things about New Orleans. I do wish that I had been a bit more into food when I went though. However, back when I went to New Orleans, food hadn’t taken over my life yet. haha While I ate and drank a lot of great things, I didn’t appreciate them like I would now.
Thankfully this week’s #SundaySupper, hosted by Marion of Life Tastes Good, is packed full of New Orleans and Mardi Gras themed recipes so I can make all of my favorites at home!
So even though I haven’t been to New Orleans in years, we have stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter and the Port Orleans Riverside Hotels at Disney within the past few years! I know, I know, those hotels are NOT NOLA but hey, they’re as close as I’ve been able to get over the past 5 years so I’ll take it.
Plus I love them so much just because they’re New Orleans themed.
When we stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter we always make sure to grab an order to two of freshly made beignets! They make them to order there and they’re so good! The ones at the Port Orleans are covered in tons and tons of powdered sugar and I LOVE IT!
However, for today’s post I deiced to change it up just a tad to celebrate Mardi Gras! So my beignets have purple, green and gold icing on them…then they’re topped with lots of powdered sugar haha.
Either way you make them, I’m sure you’ll love them!
Every wonder about the 3 Mardi Gras colors?
Here’s that they mean:
- Purple – symbolizes Justice
- Gold – symbolizes Power
- Green – symbolizes Faith
New Orleans Mardi Gras Beignets
New Orleans Mardi Gras Beignets
Love the flavors of New Orleans but missing out on Mardi Gras this year? Have no fear! #SundaySupper is packed full of Mardi Gras themed recipes this week including these New Orleans Mardi Gras Beignets!
- Total Time: 2h 30m
- Yield: 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 3 cups powdred sugar
- Oil, for deep-frying
- Nonstick spray
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 7 cups bread flour
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For Glaze
- Purple, green and yellow food coloring
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the warm water, sugar, and yeast.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
- In medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together.
- After the 10 minutes, mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture.
- In a large bowl, measure out the bread flour.
- Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine
- Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour.
- Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
- It may look like it's not going to come together but it is! Just keep kneading!
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oil in a large stock pot to 350 degrees F.
- Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 3 inch by 3 inch squares.
- Add 2-3 dough squares to the oil and fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color.
- After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels,.
- IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ADD COLOR, sprinkle powdered sugar all over them and enjoy.
For glaze
- Combine 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk. Whisk until smooth.
- Divide into 3 bowls.
- Color one bowl purple, one bowl green and one gold/yellow.
- Drizzle glaze onto beignets then top with powdered sugar.
They look SO FUN! I love beignets. They’re so delicious. I mean, who doesn’t love fried dough?
These are the prettiest beignets I’ve seen!
These look so amazing and festive! What a perfect way to celebrate!
I am so not a baker but I’m going to have to try this! Looks delicious!
oh my GAWWWWD. Oh beignets….you are so amazing *swoon*
Interesting to know what the colors stand for!
You might want to re-think a trip to NOLA, they’re in the top five highest crime rates in the country. I have a friend who lives outside N.O. but hasn’t gone in years. Every day there are multiple shootings, stabbings, murders, various kinds of robberies and basic crimes like purse snatching, muggings and pick pockets. Sorry! Gulfport/Biloxi, MS. have the festivities on a much smaller but much safer scale.
Most large cities are like that. Won’t keep me from traveling. Just gotta be smart when you’re down there. We have murders in our city too but that doesn’t keep me from going outside. 🙂