French market doughnuts (beignets)

24 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
½ cup Boiling water
2 tablespoons Lard -- okay, use Crisco
¼ cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Evap milk
1½ teaspoon Dry yeast
¼ cup Warm water
1 Egg -- beaten
3½ To 4 cups
Flour

Directions

In a large bowl- Grandmother's was a big heavy pale green pottery one- place lard, sugar, salt, milk, and boiling water. Allow to cool to luke warm. Proof yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm (110 F.) water. Add yeast to bowl along with with the egg, when temp is no more than 110 F. Stir in 2 cups flour, beating well. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Heat deep fat to 375 F. Roll dough out, a bit at a time, to ¼ inch thick. Cut into squares, drop into fat. The doughnuts should turn over by themselves, but if they don't, nudge them over. They should be a golden brown. Grandmother placed them on brown bags to drain, but paper towels are probably safer.

She put them on a plate and shook powdered sugar over them. My kids felt they should be placed in a small brown bag and shaken with the sugar. If all the dough isn't used up, or if you want to make it the night before, store in a greased bowl in the fridge, top of dough greased, covered with waxed paper and a cover, or plastic wrap. Do not let this dough rise after rolling out- it does that in the hot fat. Makes 2-3 dozen doughnuts. We called beignets French Market doughnuts, until suddenly the world discovered them- now we speak french ;-). My grandmother didn't believe in fried food- said it wasn't good for you, but every now and then, if we whined enough, this is how she made them.

Recipe By : DDMmom

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