Introduction to Making Beignets

Series Summary

You really haven't made a proper visit to New Orleans unless you have sat down to a plate of beignets and a cup of coffee at the Cafe Du Monde. These powdered pastries, essentially fried dough covered with powdered sugar, have long been a Crescent City favorite, with some wily Cajuns even filling them with shrimp or crab meat and serving them as appetizers. Though largely associated with New Orleans cuisine, beignets are known in other parts of the world as French Donuts, Zeppoles (Italy), Paczki (Poland), Johnny Cakes (The Caribbean), etc., etc. Basically, wherever people have fried dough you can find relatives of this tasty snack, but few variation have the style and colorful history of the beignet.

In this free series of Louisiana cuisine videos, our expert Cajun chef demonstrates how to make your own delicious beignets. He begins by telling you the ingredients and showing you how to mix them. Learn how to shape and knead the dough, then how to cut it and fry it into shape. It all may sound easy, but to get them to puff out just right, take the advice of a master chef.