Beignets

Ingredients

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups canola oil
• 1 cup confectioners sugar, for serving

Instruction

1. Combine the water, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let mixture rest for 5 minutes. Then, stir the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
2. Combine the flour, remaining sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add this to the yeast mixture, stirring thoroughly with a rubber spatula. (The dough will be sticky.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a large ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares using a pizza cutter or scissors, then transfer the squares to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Place a wire cooling rack on top of another baking sheet and set aside. In a large pot, heat the oil until it reaches 350 F on a deep-fry (or candy) thermometer.
4. Add beignets to the oil, 4 at a time, and cook, flipping once, until golden brown (about 90 seconds per side). Remove beignets from the pot using a slotted spoon, and transfer them to the wire rack.
5. Dust beignets generously with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.