Cornmeal Beignets With Roasted Apples Recipes

APPLE BEIGNETS

Steps:

• Place apple slices in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and 1/4 cup Calvados and allow to macerate 15 minutes. Make batter by placing sifted flour and salt into a warm bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the yeast, beer, apple juice and olive oil. Combine to form a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to stand 4 hours. After this period add a little more beer if necessary and fold in the half egg white stiffly beaten. Heat oil for deep frying. Place macerated apple slices into a small frying basket and then place this basket into the batter. Allow all the apple slices to become well coated in the batter. Drain and then place into the hot oil. Fry the beignets for 3 minutes, or until batter is crisp and golden, drain and dredge in confectioner's sugar and serve accompanied by the apricot sauce. Apricot Sauce: Place apricots into a pan on high heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Flavor with cinnamon. Pour in Slivovitz and light. When flames have almost died down, add the remaining 2 tablespoons Calvados. Add the grated rind of half an orange, and then stir in the cream. Puree in blender and then pour mixture back into the pan and heat. Whisk in the egg yolk and then place sauce into sauceboat. Serve.

SWEET CORN BEIGNETS WITH BACON-SUGAR DUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the corn, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla and 4-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine confectioners' sugar and bacon. Process until combined; set aside., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Cut into 2-in. squares. , In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry squares, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Dust with bacon-sugar mixture. Serve warm.

SWEET CORNMEAL BEIGNETS WITH SPICY HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, water, and Sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (You could also make this the old fashioned way, by hand). Allow mixture to sit until frothy, about 5 minutes; add the salt, egg, and evaporated milk. Mix on low speed, then add the cornbread mix and half of the flour until it starts to come together; add the shortening. When the shortening is incorporated start adding the remaining flour, a little at a time until most of it is incorporated.
• Sprinkle remaining flour onto a surface and turn the dough out, kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, loosely cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk or about one hour.
• While the dough rises, make the honey butter by whipping together the softened butter, honey, cinnamon and cayenne pepper until blended. Set aside until ready to serve.
• After the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that is about 1/2" thick. With a very sharp knife cut or pizza cutter, cut dough into 2" diamonds shapes. Place the beignets on a floured baking sheet to let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place.
• Meanwhile, heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch Oven (can use a deep fryer) to 350-360 degrees. Place 4-5 beignets into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to smash or deflate them. When they are golden brown, flip them over and cook second side. Remove to paper towel lined plates to drain. Serve hot topped with powdered sugar. Makes about 2 dozen.

CINNAMON APPLE BEIGNETS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring milk, 1/2 cup cider, butter, 1 tablespoon Stevia In The Raw, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil.
• Immediately add flour and cinnamon and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon on the heat until mixture comes together. Continue stirring until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of pan.
• Transfer dough to bowl or stand mixer and cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add eggs one at a time, stirring to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next. Dough should be smooth and shiny. Stir in apples. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine Sugar In The Raw®, 1/4 cup Stevia In The Raw, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook syrup until deep amber colored, swirling pan as needed to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and slowly add 1/3 cup cider. Stir until smooth. If caramel seems runny, simmer to reduce until thickened and syrupy. Stir in vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• In a large heavy pot or deep skillet, heat oil to 365 degrees F.
• Drop tablespoons of dough into oil in batches of 8 and cook until golden all over.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• To serve, drizzle beignets with caramel sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon.

CORNMEAL BEIGNETS WITH ROASTED APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Knead the cinnamon into the butter and rub the mixture all over the apples. In a cake pan, bake the apples 45 minutes and remove. When cool enough to handle, chop enough of them to make 1 cup.
• Meanwhile, make the batter. Combine 1/2 cup water with the milk, butter, syrup and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Stir in the corn flour and continue to stir until the dough forms a ball, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove the dough to a mixing bowl and mix in the eggs, one at a time. Beat until the dough is shiny, about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet or fryer to 375 degrees. Drop the beignets in, 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, and fry until golden, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with maple sugar or drizzle with additional syrup.