Beignets de Carnivel (Carnival Fritters)

Cook Time 40 Minutes

Servings 6 - 8

Ingredients

500g plain flour
3 eggs
100g sugar
1 vanilla bean
Pinch salt
2 tbs. rum (or orange zest, orange blossom water)
2 tbs. thicken cream
100g butter, soften
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1L vegetable oil, for deep fry
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and pale in colour. Add the rum, vanilla bean and softened butter. Combine.

Add a little flour, cream, baking powder and mix. Slowly incorporate the rest of the flour until a dough is formed. Remove from mixer, wrap in cling film for couple of hours.

Dust your board. Roll the dough out until it is 5mm thick (the thinner the dough the crispier the beignets will be (I preferred them a little thicker).

Using a groove or pizza cutter, cut rectangular shaped pieces of dough (around 8cm x 4cm). Cut a slit in the centre of each piece.

In a deep fryer or a wok, heat the oil to around 180°C. Plunge the beignets in the oil in small batches of 3 or 4. When they come to the surface (around 2 minutes), flip them and cook until pale gold. Place the beignets in a plate with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Let them cool for about 15 minutes and dust with icing sugar.

TIP: Don’t waste the  empty vanilla pods, add to your caster sugar to create vanilla sugar. Perfect for baking.