Nun’s Farts Carnaval Puffs
It’s Carnaval season! And with Mardi Gras just around the corner, it’s time to dig out the large pots, slotted spoons and oil jars, and whip up some batches of beignets – something the French excel at! Whether they’re the classic soft “Beignets”, the crisp “Bugnes” or “Oreillettes” from the city of Lyon, the “Ganses” from the city of Nice, “Shenkeles” from the Alsace region… you’ll find carnaval fried doughs with so many different shapes, textures and names in France. But, some of my favorites are these little round puffs,…
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 24 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (100ml) water
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (100ml) milk (2% or whole)
- 1 tbsp (12g) sugar (+extra for dusting)½ tsp cinnamon (powder)½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (125g) all purpose-flour
- 4 large eggs
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- 1
Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
- 2
In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water and milk. Add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, nutmeg and butter. Bring to a simmer.
- 3
Remove from heat and immediately add in the flour, all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; return the saucepan to low heat and keep stiring until dough ‘dries out’ – meaning it pulls away from the pan and takes on a clean, glossy look. (about 30 sec to 1 minute).
- 4
Remove from the heat again, transfer the batter to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs thoroughly into the dough, one at a time. It is important each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next. If the dough separates, keep beating and it will come together again. In the end, you should have a semi-thick, slightly sticky batter.
- 5
(photos here show the consistency of the batter after each egg addition).
- 6
Line up a large plate with paper towels.
- 7
Fill a large pot with frying oil (at least 2-inch high) and heat up the oil. To test if the oil is at a proper frying temperature: Place the handle of the wooden spoon in the oil. The oil is ready when bubbles begin to appear around the tip of the handle.
- 8
Using a cookie scoop (or two tablespoons), drop ½ tablespoon-sized balls of dough in the oil and cook for 6-7 minutes until evenly browned. Work your way in small batches – do not fill the pot with more than 5-6 little beignets at a time or it will slow down the cooking process.
- 9
Transfer the beignets immediately to a plate and sprinkle them generously all over with sugar.
- 10
Best enjoyed within 2 hours.