Beignets with Praline Sauce
Oh NoLa, how I miss thee. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities, the French quarter specifically. Just when I thought the classic beignet (french doughnut) couldn’t get any better, a hotel restaurant in the crescent city introduced me to beignets with praline sauce. Here is my rendition.
delicious pillowy beignets
What you’ll need:
1 box of beignet mix (yes its cheating, but why ignore perfection?)
Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Other stuff:
Powdered sugar
Heavy bottomed pan
Vegetable/canola oil for cooking beignets
The process:
Follow directions for mixing and rolling out the beignets (yup, just like the box says).
uniformity is not my priority
Roll out the dough and cut into squares 2 1/2 to 3”. I like to use a pizza cutter but a knife, bench knife ect would work just as well. Save edges and reroll them for more doughnuts. Deep fry them in 3-4 inches of canola or vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove from hot oil onto a paper towel lined plate or cooling rack, immediately top with sifted powdered sugar for best results. You can stop here and enjoy a classic beignet and imagine yourself in the best french quarter cafe.
saucy
Next up is creating the ooey gooey praline sauce. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the sugar and pecans, cook 3-4 minutes until pecans start to smell toasted and the sugar is melted, make sure to stir frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat and slowly incorporate heavy cream, then add the vanilla. Return to medium heat and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until sauce thickens stirring constantly. Once, thickened, remove from heat and let cool some before serving (any leftover sauce can be refrigerated and used to top ice cream, french toast, or your favorite spoon).
sweet perfection
Finally, add praline sauce to the top of the beignets, or serve on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
None of the nonsense
Beignets with Praline Sauce
What you’ll need:
1 box of beignet mix (yes its cheating, but why ignore perfection?)
Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Other stuff:
Powdered sugar
Heavy bottomed pan
Vegetable/canola oil for cooking beignets
The process:
Follow box directions for mixing and rolling out the beignets.
Roll out the dough and cut into squares 2 1/2 to 3”. I like to use a pizza cutter but a knife, bench knife ect would work just as well. Save edges and reroll them for more doughnuts. Deep fry them in 3-4 inches of canola or vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove from hot oil onto a paper towel lined plate or cooling rack, immediately top with sifted powdered sugar for best results. You can stop here and enjoy a classic beignet and imagine yourself in the best french quarter cafe.
For the praline sauce, in a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the sugar and chopped pecans, cook 3-4 minutes until pecans start to smell toasted and the sugar is melted, make sure to stir frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat and slowly incorporate heavy cream, then add the vanilla. Return to medium heat and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until sauce thickens stirring constantly. Once, thickened, remove from heat and let cool some before serving (any leftover sauce can be refrigerated and used to top ice cream, french toast, or your favorite spoon).
