Beignet

Beignet (/ˈbɛnjeɪ/ BEN-yay, also US: /beɪnˈjeɪ, bɛnˈjeɪ/ bayn-YAY, ben-YAY,^[1][2][3][4] French: [bɛɲɛ]; lit. 'bump') is a type of fritter, or deep-fried pastry, made from pâte à choux, but may also be made from other types of dough, including yeast dough.^[5] In France there are at least 20 different versions. They can vary in shape, the flour used for the dough, and the filling. They are popular in French, Italian, and French-American cuisines.

Types

The term beignet can be applied to two varieties, depending on the type of pastry. The French-style beignet in the United States has the specific meaning of deep-fried choux pastry.^[5]

Beignets can also be made with yeast pastry,^[6] which might be called boules de Berlin in French, referring to Berliner doughnuts, which lack the typical doughnut hole, filled with fruit or jam.

In Corsica, beignets made with chestnut flour (beignets de farine de châtaigne) are known as fritelli.

In Canadian French, doughnuts are referred to alternately as beigne or beignet.

In former French colonial empire in West Africa, a beignet is a small ball of fried dough, in Senegal sometimes made with millet flour rather than wheat, equivalent to a Puff-puff.^[7]

Louisiana

Louisiana-style beignets are square or rectangular fried pastries made from leavened dough rather than choux pastry. In New Orleans, they are best known as a breakfast served with powdered sugar on top.^[5] They are traditionally prepared to be eaten fresh and hot before consumption. Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French. In the United States, beignets have been popular within New Orleans Creole cuisine and may also be served as a dessert. They were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists,^[6] from "the old mother country",^[8] also brought by Acadians,^[9] and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking. Variations often include banana or plantain – popular fruits in the port city – or berries.^[10][11] It is one of only two official state donuts—the only other one being the Boston cream doughnut, the state donut of Massachusetts.^[12][13]

Preparation

Ingredients used to prepare beignets traditionally include:

• Lukewarm water
• Granulated sugar
• Evaporated milk
• Bread flour
• Shortening
• Oil or lard, for deep-frying
• Confectioners' sugar

• 
  Beignets before frying
• 
  Piping choux pastry dough for beignets

See also

• List of choux pastry dishes
• List of doughnut varieties
• Churro – Fried-dough pastry
• Cuisine of New Orleans – Culinary traditions of New Orleans, Louisiana, US
• Lokma – Deep fried dough pastries
• Mekitsa – Dish made of kneaded deep fried dough made with yogurt
• Lángos – Hungarian deep-fried flatbread
• Puff-puff – African fried dough snack and pastry
• Sufganiyah – Round jelly-filled doughnut served at Hanukkah
• Zeppole – Italian pastryPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Fasnacht (doughnut) – Deep-fried German doughnut

References

Further reading

• Yves Thuriès, French Pastry, ISBN 0-471-28598-6
• Rosana G. Moreira et al., Deep Fat Frying: Fundamentals and Applications, ISBN 0-8342-1321-4

External links

• Media related to Beignets at Wikimedia Commons

• v
• t
• e

Doughnuts, fritters and other fried-dough foods

Sweet

Africa and Asia	Adhirasam Awameh Bambalouni Bamiyeh Binangkal Boortsog Buñuelo Çäkçäk Cascaron Chebakia Chiroti Chin chin Churro Gorgoria Gosh-e Fil Gulab jamun Gwaramari Imarti Jalebi Koe'sister/Koeksister Kevum Kumukunsi Lokma Lokot-lokot Maejap-gwa Mahua Maruya Mochi donuts Panyalam Pilipit Pinakufu Puff-puff Qottab Sata andagi Sel roti Sfenj Sfinz Shakoy Shankarpali Shuangbaotai Sufganiyah Sweet shells Tulumba Vetkoek Zalabiyeh
Americas	Bear claw Bolinho de chuva Boston cream Brown Bobby Buñuelo Churro Cider doughnut Coconut doughnut Cronut Cruller Dutchie Fried Coke Funnel cake Jelly doughnut Long John Maple bacon donut Maple bar Old-fashioned doughnut Persian Picarones Potato doughnut Sopaipilla Sour cream doughnut Tiger tail donut Timbits Touton Wonut
Europe	Angel wings Beignet Berliner Bombolone Buñuelo Churro Diples Fánk Fartura Fasnacht Fazuelos Filhós Fritule Fudge doughnut Klenät Knieküchle Krofne Malassada Mekitsa Oliebol Pączki Papanași Pastisset Pestiños Prusurate Rosette Schenkele Smultring Uštipci Zeppole

Savory

Africa and Asia	Balep korkun Bhaji Bhatoora Burmese fritters Ham chim peng Javanese doughnut Khuushuur Luchi Mee Siput Muar Mücver Murukku Okoy Ox-tongue pastry Pakora Papri chaat Pişi Puri Qutab Samosa Sha phaley Shelpek Vada Vetkoek Youtiao
Europe and the Americas	Chebureki Fleischkuekle Fritelli Frybread Funnel cake Haliva Lángos Lihapiirakka Lörtsy Pampushka Panzerotti Pastel Pasztecik szczeciński Peremech Pirozhki

Companies

• BeaverTails
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Krispy Kreme
• Mister Donut
• Shipley Do-Nuts
• Tim Hortons

Lists

• List of doughnut varieties
• List of fried dough foods
• List of deep fried foods
• List of doughnut shops

See also

• National Doughnut Day
• Coffee and doughnuts
• Superior Donuts
  • play
  • TV series

•  Category: Doughnuts