Beignets

With winter here, I have been craving fried foods like crazy. I think it has to do with the perpetual chill that has settled over our home and lives. Fried foods are little bits of joy. Beignets are the most perfect food. Traditionally, they are served as a dessert with powdered sugar but there is nothing in this recipe that demands they have to be a dessert. We eat them with soups and sauces like biscuits. Pieces not eaten with dinner are often covered with butter and honey. They are not unlike Indian Fried bread except that this particular recipe uses yeast instead of baking powder. I make small pieces but you can easily make larger ones to use in place of bread for sandwiches or for tacos.

Beignets
1 cup milk
1 TB yeast
1 egg
2 TB sugar
2 TB oil
3 ½ - 4 cups flour
Cooking Oil
Heat milk to about 100 degrees. Add yeast and sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Add egg and oil, beat well. Add flour ½ to 1 cup at a time until the dough is firm but still sticky. Remove from bowl and lay on floured surface. Knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky and still pliable. Roll out to ½ thickness and cut into squares. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 375 degrees. Fry until golden.