New Orleans-Style Beignets

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras from the comfort of your kitchen? Make beignets. Liberally dusted in confectioners’ sugar, these pillowy deep-fried doughnuts will transport you to Bourbon Street in just one bite.

How to deep-fry:
The key to stress-free deep-frying is to set up all the equipment before you even think about heating up the oil. Choose a wide, deep pot with a heavy bottom that will distribute and retain the heat evenly (a Dutch oven is ideal), and fit it with a clip-on deep-frying thermometer so you can easily gauge the temperature of your oil at all times. A large metal slotted spoon or spider is the best tool to retrieve the beignets from their oil bath, and you’ll also need to arrange a landing pad nearby: A wire rack set inside a larger metal baking sheet works best.

The importance of letting them cool:
It’s tempting to shower the beignets with confectioners’ sugar the minute they hit the rack and dig in right away, but do your best to resist. Like any yeast-raised bread, these beignets need a few minutes to cool so their inner crumb structure can set. If you rip one open straight out of the fryer, you’ll end up squishing the inside of the bread and releasing all the steam trapped inside, and the beignets will end up tasting slightly underdone and dry all at once. Instead, for the ultimate texture and flavor, wait at least 5 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and enjoying.

Storage:
Like all fried things, these beignets are best fresh. If you happen to have leftovers, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It might be unorthodox, but my favorite way to refresh leftovers is to cut them in half through their equator, toast them cut side down in a pan with a little butter, then slather them with jam. It’s not a beignet at that point, but it’s something else equally delicious.

Did you try making these? Let us know how it went in the comments!