Mardi Gras Beignets
 
Makes 24
Ingredients
  • ½ cup warm water (105° to 115°)
  • 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 4¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Cream Cheese Pastry Cream Filling (recipe follows)
  • Milk Glaze (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: purple, yellow, and green sparkling sugars
Cream Cheese Pastry Cream Filling
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup whole milk, divided
  • ½ cup cream cheese, cubed and softened
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Milk Glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup boiling water, evaporated milk, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar at low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add yeast mixture and egg, and beat until combined. Beat in flour until well combined, about 1 minute.
  3. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and soft and forms a ball at base of dough hook, 6 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. (Dough should stick to your fingers when you touch it but release after you pull away, and it will still stick to bottom and sides of bowl.)
  4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  5. In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375°.
  6. Divide dough in half. On a heavily floured surface, roll half of dough into a 13x10-inch rectangle (about ¼ inch thick). (Cover and refrigerate remaining dough.) Trim ½ inch off all sides to create a 12x9-inch rectangle. Cut into 3-inch squares, and separate pieces so they do not stick together, using more flour as needed.
  7. Place 2 to 3 squares in hot oil; when settled on top of oil, immediately turn, and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Carefully remove from hot oil, and let drain on paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Let cool completely.
  8. Spoon Cream Cheese Pastry Cream Filling into a pastry bag, and cut ¼-inch opening in tip. Pipe filling into each beignet. Spoon Milk Glaze over beignets, and garnish with sparkling sugars, if desired.
Cream Cheese Pastry Cream Filling
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Add egg yolks and ¼ cup milk, and whisk until well combined.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat remaining ¾ cup milk over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Gradually add hot milk to sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture starts to boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and cornstarch flavor has cooked out, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl. Stir in cream cheese, butter, and vanilla bean paste or extract until completely combined. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 1 hour. Stir before using.
Milk Glaze
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Use immediately.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/mardi-gras-beignets/