A beignet is a fried dessert, and so are fritters and doughnuts. Beignets are more akin to fritters than doughnuts but recipes for beignets can range from doughnut cut-out fried desserts to a fried batter-coated fruit dessert. When looked up in a French dictionary, the word beignet means 'fritter, doughnut.' Similarly, when the word fritter is looked up in the Larousse Gastronomique, the French word 'beignet' is right next to it, with the definition:
Batters for beignets and fritters containing a bit of beer for the liquid gives it a slightly yeasty flavor, great for fried desserts and a compliment to fruits such as apple, apricot, fig, pineapple, banana and cherry. Fruit fritters can also be macerated in sugar and/or a liqueur like kirsch, rum or Calvados, depending on the fruit. Drain thoroughly before dipping in the batter and frying. Fritters and beignets are traditionally dusted with powdered sugar before serving, and the batter can be sweetened or left plain. The end result can direct which type of batter is to be used or the fruit itself: if a sweet coating is desired then a batter with sugar might be desired or if the fruit is very sweet or ripe, a batter that is plain might be better. Any plain fritter batter may be sweetened by simply adding a couple of teaspoons sugar. Other fried desserts include churros (Mexican/Spanish dessert made from choux pastry), zeppoli (Italian doughnut holes sometimes served with a filling), funnel cakes (batter dropped from a funnel to make a pasta-spaghetti-resembling fried dessert), sopaipillas (Southwestern crispy puffs drizzled with honey and often flavored with cinnamon or honey), buñuelos (Mexican fried crisp pastry dusted with cinnamon sugar), rosettes (fried pastry made from a thin batter and using a special rosette iron), crullers (twisted doughnuts) and cannolis (Italian fried pastry formed around a cylinder mold and filled with a sweet ricotta filling). So with the above definitions in mind, I've included several different recipes for fritter batters and for fried desserts like yeast-raised doughnuts, churros and desserts with batters lightened with beaten egg whites, and more. Some recipes are listed below and some are under the following links: For all about fritters and tips on cooking them, read the Fritter Dégustation. For cannoli recipes, another fried dessert, read all about cannolis with recipes and pictures. Read the Q & A for Churros. Below are batters for fritters, beignets and other fried desserts, and doughnuts using yeast. _________________________ _________________________ Cognac
and Apricot Fritters Macerate pitted apricots in cognac and a little bit of sugar for 30 minutes. Drain, dip in batter and fry until golden and done. Remove to drain, and serve with powdered sugar dusted over the top. _________________________ Apple
Cinnamon Fritters 1 c flour Oil as needed for frying Mix dry ingredients together. Add the wet and mix smooth. Stir in the apples and drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden on all sides, turning over half way through cooking. Remove to drain, and serve with a liberal dusting of powdered sugar. _________________________ Traditional
Beer Batter 1 c
flour Oil as needed for frying Measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, starting with 1 cup flour. Stir with a whisk. Add in the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. If a thicker batter is needed, add slightly more flour. Allow to rest up to an hour. Use for dipping cut fruits, vegetables and meats. Serve immediately after frying. _________________________
_________________________
Buttermilk
Doughnuts 4 c flour Oil as needed for frying Measure and stir the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar, buttermilk and shortening and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and turn out onto a floured surface. Cut out with a doughnut cutter or other shaped cutter and transfer to a well-floured baking sheet; let rest 15 minutes. Fry in hot oil at 375°F until browned and done, turning over halfway through cooking. Remove to absorbent paper, allow to cool slightly and serve with powdered or granulated sugar.
References used: Recipes from
the files of Renee Shelton. Herbst, Sharon
Tyler. Food Lover's Companion. New York: Barron's, 2001. "Fried
Dough" article from Wikipedia. Site accessed 2 Feb, 2008.
Copyright
© 2008 Renee Shelton.
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