The Bachelorette is back! After a spring intermission the Monday night staple has returned, and, to me, it's one of the most conducive snacking shows around. Bachelor/ette watching parties are usually the most entertaining. For once during a TV show talking is welcome and something about the suitors being men makes it especially fun to discuss and yell at the TV. Rachel was always going to seem like a great Bachelorette, and she hasn't disappointed in the first two episodes. I made these beignets in time for the premiere, but since I was traveling, I didn't put the post together in time. Remember when Rachel and Nick went to NOLA and Nick ate beignets for the first time (as pictured below, very aggressively) with Rachel? Well, that was the inspo for this particular post. No worries that they're a little late, enjoy them for tonight or the rest of the season!
Lavender Beignets
inspired by The Bachelor season 21, episode 5
makes 16 beignets
for the icing
- 1 tbsp dried lavender buds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
for the filling
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup prepared lavender icing
for the pastry
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/2 tbsp yeast
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- oil for frying
Make the icing and filling. Whisk together icing ingredients and set aside. Whisk together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer to combine until fluffy. Add cream and 1/2 cup of icing and continue to whisk until combined. Cover and refrigerate until you're going to use it.
If using active dry yeast, dissolve yeast in milk and let sit for 5 minutes until activated. If instant yeast, use immediately. Add in eggs and sugar and beat, then add butter and salt and mix until combined. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If using active dry yeast, cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place. If using instant yeast, skip the first rise. You can also refrigerate overnight.
When doubled in size, roll out the dough into a big square that's an even thickness and cut into 16 squares. Place them on a baking tray and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
Heat oil, deep enough for the dough squares in a deep-ish pan to 350ºF. Drop a few dough squares into the oil and fry until golden brown, flipping in the middle. The edges will be golden brown when it's time to flip them. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon or something similar and set to dry on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Fill a pastry bag with filling and attach a long, narrow tip. Pipe into the center of the pastries. Make sure it's actually filling it up, it could come out the edge where you punctured it but not actually fill much in the center. Spread some icing on the top and serve immediately.
recipe from Gringalicious.com.
[made while watching Master of None (season 2).]
