Welcome back to another lactose free recipe. For this weeks recipe I wanted to take a trip down memory lane and recreate an iconic recipe from my travels. A few years ago I got to travel to New Orleans with my family. One of the best parts of the trip was definitely the food; Gumbo, Jambalaya, Po’boys and more.
This recipe is a recreation of one of the most iconic New Orleans dishes, Beignets. Beignets are delicious squares of dough that have been deep fried and smothered in powdered sugar. Made with evaporated milk these pillows of perfection are soft, fluffy and rich.
Lactose free evaporated milk can be hard to find so I prefer to make my own. You can use milk if you wish however the dough will not have the same richness. You can also make a quick alternative by mixing ¼ cup of cream and ¾ cup of milk. for one cup of cheats evaporated milk. Condensed milk is NOT a good substitute for the evaporated milk.
( https://sicklysweetcreations.com/recipes/evaporated-milk-lactose-free )
The normal way to make these is to cut them into squares or rectangles. I decided to change things up and use a heart cookie cutter to make adorable little heart beignets.
The recipes here have been tested with lactose free ingredients multiple times to ensure their success and deliciousness. As always, this recipe is lactose free providing you use the right ingredients. Always make sure your ingredients are safe.
Some tips for deep frying:
- Keep an eye on the oil, if you see wisps of smoke or the oil smells turn off the burner / stove immediately and very carefully remove the saucepan to the side. Smoke is a danger sign that the oil is too hot.
- Heat the oil slowly.
- Add the food gently to the pot so the oil doesn’t splatter and burn you.
- Always keep a lid beside the pan. If you have a fire slide the lid on top of the pan and turn the stove off. Let the saucepan cool down. Don’t remove the lid or it may ignite again. Call for help if you feel uncomfortable. DO NOT USE WATER ON AN OIL FIRE.
Ingredients
- Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for several minutes until the mixture becomes foamy.
-
In a large bowl add the eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk. Mix well.
-
Add half of the flour and mix.
-
Add in the yeast mixture you prepared earlier. Slowly (or it will splash) mix the yeast mix into the dough.
- Add the margarine and beat until well incorporated.
-
Add in the rest of the flour and the salt. Beat until smooth.
-
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead to bring it together. Shape into a ball.
- Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
- Grab your heart cutter and a rolling pin. Cover your work bench with flour and
- Cover one baking tray with baking paper and another baking tray with paper towel.
-
Place a generous amount of icing sugar into a large bowl.
- In a large saucepan heat up 4 inches of vegetable oil to 177°C (350°F)
- Some tips for deep frying: - Keep an eye on the oil, if you see wisps of smoke or the oil smells turn off the burner / stove immediately and very carefully remove the saucepan to the side. Smoke is a danger sign that the oil is too hot. - Heat the oil slowly. - Add the food gently to the pot so the oil doesn’t splatter and burn you. - Always keep a lid beside the pan. If you have a fire slide the lid on top of the pan and turn the stove off. Let the saucepan cool down. Don’t remove the lid or it may ignite again. Call for help if you feel uncomfortable. DO NOT USE WATER ON AN OIL FIRE.
-
While the oil is heating up roll out the dough (1/4 inch thick). Use the heart cutter to cut out the dough. Place them onto the baking tray with the baking paper. Keep cutting them out until you fill up the tray. You can recombine the dough later and continue cutting hearts out.
-
Cover the hearts with clingwrap until ready to be fried.
-
Very gently drop a heart into the oil.
-
Cook until you can see the bottom is starting to turn golden brown. Use a slotted spoon and turn the heart over. Cook until they are a deep golden color.
- Place onto the tray with paper towel to cool down slightly and remove some of the excess oil.
-
Dip the beignets into the powdered sugar and generously coat.
- Keep cooking in batches and coating them until the dough has been used up. Keep an eye on the oil, if you see wisps of smoke or the oil smells turn off the burner / stove immediately and very carefully remove the saucepan to the side. Smoke is a danger sign that the oil is too hot.
- Serve immediately while hot and enjoy.
-
Congratulations you have now made delicious fresh Beignets.
