Nutella Filled Beignets
One order of Nutella-filled beignets coming right up!
I’ve taken a newfound liking to Disney animations. When I first moved to Poland, I remember my sister and I watching Mulan repeatedly at the hotel because it was the only movie we had with us. I stopped watching Disney movies- not because I “grew up” but because their quality was gradually deteriorating. There’s this thing called the “Disney Renaissance” – which actually began in the late 80’s and ended in the late 90’s – when films like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King were made. They were successful- obviously for the plot- but also because of the music- heck, The Lion King went to Broadway, for the animation techniques and for the characters. I loved those films. But after that, the following Disney films were, well, eeeeh.
Last year I watched Tangled, and I loved it. This year I watched Frozen, and I LOVED it. I may just write post rambling on about how awesome Frozen was. Yesterday I was in the mood for an animation- I love that they’re so relaxing, always happy- and sometimes even inappropriate (for five year olds that is). I watched The Princess and the Frog– It was enjoyable- I love how Tiana likes cooking and I loved how it was set in New Orleans during the 20’s- at least I think it was the 20’s because of the clothing. My favorite era to look at is, in fact, the 20’s. Anyhow- what really caught my attention was the beignets that she served a couple times. It’s almost (almost?) Mardi Gras – and what is New Orleans famous for? Mardi Gras. And Beignets.
So here’s a spin on a classic recipe for Nutella-filled beignets. The beignets themselves are soft, fluffy pillows of dough sprinkled with sugar. They are then injected (injected) with Nutella, that melts into the folds of warm dough. I love hearing the beignets sizzle away to reveal a dark golden color. I ate four of them as soon as they were made. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to lose weight. I’m going to try and do some healthy recipes from now on, but I couldn’t help sharing these. They are good. Really good. Better than Tiana’s nutella-filled beignets.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- oil for frying
- 1 cup Nutella, or jam- or any kind of filling you fancy
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the water and sugar. Add the yeast and let it sit until slightly frothy.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg. Trickle in the salt, milk and butter and continue whisking. Also add in the yeast mixture.
- Next, dump in the flour- in two batches. I start out with a whisk and then switch to a spoon.
- Once the dough becomes difficult to work with, place on a floured surface and knead until it forms a ball. Add more flour if necessary.
- Oil a medium/ large bowl. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and brush the surface of the dough with oil. Cover with cling film and let alone for 2-3 hours or until it has doubled (or tripled) in size.
- Heat around 2 cups of vegetable oil in a 9 inch skillet or pan.
- Uncover the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1-2 inch squares. Another option is using a cookie cutter to make circle shapes.
- The oil should be around 160 C or 350 F- you can test this by placing a small piece of dough. If it floats up and the oil begins to bubble, it’s hot enough.
- Fry 4-5 squares at a time- around 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Then flip and fry on the other side. Make sure the oil doesn’t get too hot.
- Remove the beignets from the oil and place on a paper-towel.
- To fill them, pour the Nutella in a piping bag with a 1/4 inch nozzle attached. Make a hole on one side of the beignet, insert the nozzle in the hole and press gently. Don’t over fill with Nutella. You can also slice the beignet in half and spread it instead of piping.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately- while they are still warm.
I know exactly what you should try next… this doughnut french toast recipe! Or this amazing baked pumpkin cake doughnuts recipe.
great idea. they look delish!
Thanks, Dina!
Tried these. They were really good!!!
Yay! I am so glad! Be sure to post a picture on my Facebook page!
Can I use white sugar instead of granulated sugar?
yup- same thing 🙂
In which step should I add the yeast/water/sugar mixture to the medium bowl? I tried this recipe and added it just before the flour. Maybe I kneaded them too long, but the beignets seemed really tough/chewy and not like the crispy/fluffy delights I remember from nola. I also did not get anywhere near 40 out of this recipe, and I used a small 2″ diameter biscuit cutter.
Hi Kelly, You need to add it right at the beginning, where the recipe says, with the water and sugar. Did you let them rise enough? This shouldn’t be a problem if you let them rise, same thing with the quantity of beignets- cut them very small and let them rise before frying- read the recipe once more before trying them out and watch the video. Hope this helps.
I’m a high schooler and have taken French for 5 years. During our French holiday unit this past December, I made these and they came out amazing!! I’ve made them 2 more times since and I’m never disappointed, plus all of my classmates absolutely LOVE THEM. They’re delicious and easy to make, especially for someone like me who almost never cooks. I’ve recommended this recipe even to my French teacher. Bravo!!!
Hi Teresa, that’s so cool! I’m so glad you liked them 🙂