Happy Mardi Gras! Growing up, my family would always eat pancakes or waffles on Mardi Gras. It was usually one last sugary meal before a season with a smaller amount of sweet treats. While I usually continue this tradition, I was inspired by the Mickey Mouse beignets in Disneyland and decided to change it up a bit this year.
I first had beignets when I went to New Orleans and I quickly fell in love with the hot, fresh, perfectly cooked beignets that were smothered with powdered sugar. While the term “beignet” is French, this specific type of doughnut is mostly associated with New Orleans. It’s typically cooked right before being eaten and is therefore served hot and fresh. For me, beignets have to be puffy, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. These beignets were just that and so easy to make!
As with most yeast based doughs, you’ll want to start the process a couple hours before you want to eat as the dough needs about two hours to rise. The dough itself is easy to make and only required a little bit of kneading on my part, probably because I don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Once the dough has risen, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. The 1/2 inch thickness perfectly fluffy without feeling too big. To get the Mickey Mouse shape, I used a small Wilton Mickey Mouse cookie cutter.
Since I don’t have a separate deep fryer, I used a dutch oven to fry my beignets, which worked out great. Since the oil is heated to about 350 F, I used canola oil as it has a high smoke point. I cooked about four beignets at a time, as that was the amount I could fit in the dutch oven without overcrowding.
Definitely keep an eye on how hot the oil is, as once you start frying the beignets, it will most likely decrease in temperature and they might take a bit longer to cook.
Once they’re fried, let the beignets cool and drain on paper towels for just a couple minutes before covering with powdered sugar. Serve immediately as they are best eaten hot. Enjoy!
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Mickey Mouse Beignets
Bring a taste of Disneyland home with these delicious Mickey Mouse beignets. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they’re perfect with a sprinkle of powdered sugar!
Ingredients
Beignets
- ¾ cup warm water (100-110 F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 egg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- powdered sugar, for dusting
- canola oil, for frying
Equipment
- small Mickey Mouse cookie cutter
- dutch oven or heavy pot
- rolling pin
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes, until bubbly.
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In a small bowl, mix together the egg, salt, and evaporated milk.
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Add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
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Add 2 cups of flour and mix to combine, using an electric mixer if needed. Once combined, mix in the shortening.
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Add additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft dough that is slightly sticky. Form the dough into a large ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a dark, warm area. Let rise for two hours, until doubled in size.
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Once dough has risen, heat the oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven to 350 F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ inch thick. Cut out beignets using a small Mickey Mouse cookie cutter.
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Once the oil is heated, carefully place 3-4 beignets into the oil (depending on your pot size) and let cook for 30-60 seconds per side or until each side is a deep golden brown (depending on how much your oil cools while being used it could take 1-2 minutes per side).
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Remove cooked beignets and drain on paper towels. Let cool for 3-5 minutes and cover with powdered sugar. Serve while hot.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from iheartnaptime