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Beignets for Valentine’s Day

Beignets for Valentine’s Day, the quick and easy way! Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day; you don’t want to be slaving in the kitchen!

Valentine Beignets | FiestaFriday.net

heart shaped beignet donuts


My husband was like, “Oh hey, what are we doing for Fat Tuesday?”

And I was like, “Oh hey, slow down, man! We still have to go through Valentine’s Day!”

But then it hit me! Fat Tuesday is next week! Just a few days after Valentine’s Day!

How is that possible? I’m already hyperventilating thinking about it! Things need to slow down a little. Everything is happening too quickly!

I feel the need to hurry. Make haste, woman, make haste!! I need to move faster, take longer strides, maybe add an extra step in my walk, and so on and so forth.

Or if I were smart, I should organize, prioritize, and strategize. In other words, work smarter, not harder. That should be my new motto.

And so I turned on all my brain’s neurons or protons or electrons, whatever…

In other words, I used 11% of my brain cells, instead of the usual 10.

And I was able to combine Valentine’s Day and Fat Tuesday into one.

I made beignets, our fat of choice for Fat Tuesday, and cut them into hearts. So, there… no calendar is going to outsmart me, haha!

beignets for valentine's day

The hyperventilating and panicking all happened yesterday. Today I’m enjoying my beignets. Early for both Valentine’s Day and Fat Tuesday.

For once in my life, I’m early! Now finally I can breathe…and relax…aah… That feels good!

***

These beignets are best eaten warm. Perfect just with a dusting of powdered sugar.

heart beignets

Or you might also want to fill them with Nutella.

nutella filled beignets

They take a little more time, so just make a few. For your Valentine.

And forget about filling the rest. Just do what my daughter did. She made herself a little bit of ganache and ate her beignets by dipping them in the chocolate sauce. She is way smarter than her mom!

Valentine beignets with ganache

I have my regular basic beignet recipe that I highly recommend. But when you’re pressed for time, this fool-proof “lightning-speed” recipe works just as well.

Here’s the printable recipe for the easy “lightning-speed” beignets

5.0 from 3 reviews
(Lightning-Speed) Beignets for Valentine's Day
 
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Heart-shaped beignets for Valentine's Day, the quick and easy version.
Author:
Recipe type: Bread/Breakfast
Cuisine: New Orleans
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup 1% milk
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 package rapid-rise yeast
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour (Use less for whole wheat - see notes)
  • Oil for deep-frying
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Nutella for filling, if desired
  • Chocolate ganache for dipping or drizzling
Instructions
  1. Place milk and butter in a microwave-proof container and microwave for 1½ minutes, or until milk is warm enough to melt the butter.
  2. Pour into a stand mixer bowl. Add yeast, sugar, and egg. Whisk to combine.
  3. Mix flour and salt. Add into bowl.
  4. Using the dough hook attachment, start mixing, slowly at first, until flour is well-incorporated.
  5. Increase speed and continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
  6. Remove dough from bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let the dough rise until it doubles in bulk, about 1 - 2 hours.
  7. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about ½-inch thick. Cut into hearts with a cookie cutter.
  8. Cut a little slit on top of the hearts to make sure they will stay heart-shaped when fried (See photo below)
  9. In a deep heavy saucepan or an electric fryer, heat the oil until it reaches 360-375°F. Working in batches, fry the beignets for 1-2 minutes on each side, until puffed and golden brown.
  10. Drain beignets on a plate lined with paper towel. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
To fill with Nutella
  1. Make a little hole on top or bottom of beignet and pipe in Nutella using a piping bag fitted with a round tip (See photo below)
Notes
You will need less flour when using whole wheat flour, since it tends to absorb more liquid. Start with 3 cups first, then add more as needed

 

how to make heart shaped beignet donutsThese beignets have the tendency to puff and morph into “pears”. Here’s a little trick to make sure your beignets stay as “hearts”: Cut a little slit on top of the heart to make sure it will stay heart-shaped when it’s fried.

how to make nutella filled beignet donuts

Fat Tuesday heart-shaped beignets

“Oh hey, are we doing anything special for Chinese New Year?”

“Slow down, man, we’re still enjoying the beignets!”

When is Chinese New Year, by the way? What?! Two days after Fat Tuesday? How is this happening? Okay, okay…calm down…there’s no need to cook on Chinese New Year. We go to Chinatown for that!

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Beignets for Valentine’s Day... Soft and pillowy heart-shaped beignets #beignets #valentine

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Comments

    • It didn’t go through the first time around. Glad you gave it another try! I LOVE beignets so much! I get in trouble when I’m around them. Can’t seem to stop munching on them! 😀

  3. these are so pretty! i would love to make a batch to share with my neighbour & her son. I’ve never been very good at working with dough (or oil, for that matter). i wouldn’t even know how to tell if the oil is too hot (or not hot enough) lol. do people still test how hot the oil is by dropping a small splatter of dough into the oil (to test its hotness) lol i may be overthinking this way to much. I’m making these. I’ll let you know how everything goes ok?

    • Hey Maria, where you been, girl?! ? Glad to hear from you! Yes, you can definitely test your oil by dropping a tiny piece of dough. If it sizzles immediately, then it’s hot enough. But make sure it’s not too hot. If your dough browns too quickly, then it’s too hot. The easy way is to use a thermometer. Let me know how it turns out for you. I hope your neighbors like them! ?

  6. OMG, Angie! You are just too smart! Combining your holidays in super delicious style! I want these for breakfast tomorrow with my coffee! Very tasty! 😀

  7. They look amazing – I had been thinking of beignets for Shrove Tuesday, but the frying bit has always put me off a little … only the smell of it, never the taste 😉
    Hope you had a lovely Valentine’s! I celebrated in style, having a glass of prosecco in London’s most stylish train station – St Pancras – with the girls whilst the love of my life was at home looking after the children …

    • I know what you mean about frying. I tried making a baked version, but no good! Too bad! Hey, I’ve been to St Pancras. I love travelling by train in Europe, so comfy. Believe it or not, have never taken a train here in the states! Anyway, so nice of your love to watch the children while you’re having fun. Mine does the same for me whenever I’m out with girlfriends. We have the best husbands in the world! ??

  8. Oh my gosh, these look amazing! I actually gasped a little at the photo with the nutella inside!
    And okay, when you were talking about Fat Tuesday I was thinking to myself “thank god the next holiday here isn’t until Shrove Tuesday” and then I realised Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday at the same thing! Oh dear!

    • That would be my favorite way to enjoy these beignets, filled with Nutella, but takes a little effort to make. Dunking or drizzling with chocolate is a lot easier. Elaine was saying it’s also called Pancake Day. 3 different names for the same thing! Actually, make that 4. It’s also called Mardi Gras here! ??

  14. Oh wow Angie, we just had a cousin visiting us from Toronto, and just got him off on a flight to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. As he left, I told him to eat some beignets for me, then I see your post? Brilliant!! I’ve never made them before, I hope to now. Just so cute, and the addition of nutella? You love to tease don’t ya? 🙂 Happy V-Day!

    • Perfect timing, yay!! You’ll have to try these, Loretta! Better than store-bought donuts! The other recipe asks that you refrigerate the dough overnight and it does give you softer and smoother crumbs, but the difference is slight. You can’t go wrong with either! I hope you’ll give these a try! ??

    • She’s been watching me! She now makes better grilled cheese sandwich and omelette than my husband! ? Beignets are pretty easy to make. With a Kitchenaid, it takes no time at all to knead. I hope you’ll give them a try! XO

  19. Recently watched Chef movie. That is the first time I heard the term Beignets. I googled these and found the wiki about these. Loved these.
    An idea of selling some fresh beignets on a food truck was quite exciting.
    Yours look soft pillows of cloud, filled with Nutella. Yumm.

    • These are New Orleans beignets. They’re more like donuts; in fact they ARE donuts, just without holes ?. Pretty sure you’ve seen my original recipe a year ago. We’re hoping to get to Chinatown for CNY. We love watching the lion dance and the food is always amazing, but at this point doubtful. It’ll be freezing cold!

  25. Ooh, they look so delicious. Love the nutella-filled ones, they look like perfect pillows. Have a wonderful, albeit busy week ahead, Angie. 🙂 I have been looking to make GF, vegan doughnuts. Maybe beignets would be a good place to start? Are they easier?

    • Yes, definitely easier since you don’t have to make that hole in the middle. You can cut the dough into rectangles with a pizza cutter. In fact in New Orleans that’s how they are served. I’d be interested to see your GF vegan version. What flour would you be using?

      • I’m thinking of GF all-purpose flour. My daughter is now on a GF, CF diet and she wants donuts. Now, GF baking has become my priority in life. I will have to make them somehow!

        • I have a lot to learn about GF baking. My BIL is also on GF diet and swears it has improved his health dramatically. He does look a lot healthier. He even lost weight! I’ve tried some of his GF snacks. Not bad at all! ??

  28. Love this Angie! And I had never heard of Fat Tuesday until now! But definitely a clever thing to do – to combine both days into one and make one special treat! The one with nutella sounds so yummy – my mouth is watering! I am sure your husband must have been pleased! Belated Happy valentine’s day, my friend! 🙂

    • Thanks, Indu! Sometimes my brain works and I love it when that happens, lol! Work smarter, not harder, right?! I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Too much chocolate for me. Totally hubby’s fault! ??

  30. It’s very hard to choose from dusting of powdered sugar, Nutella-filled and with chocolate ganache. It seems that I will take everything, Angie. 😛
    And congrats for being early this time. 😀 Have a blessed week, Angie. xx

  31. The name, “fat Tuesday” still makes me smile somehow. Pancake Tuesday for us here in UK. ☺ can you eat anything fatty for fat Tuesday? Or just sweet fatty things? I love to munch on some of those cute beignets, but I am sure I wont be able to stop once I start!

    • You can eat anything you want on Fat Tuesday! It’s the last day before Lenten fasting begins. I’m giving up French fries this year, will be tough! So glad you like the beignets. I’m like you, once I started on them, I couldn’t stop! ??

  33. I knew that when you do a lovely recipe, you always make it a bit more specula,..;And that is why, I love you! x Ha! Lovely nuttily filled home-made beignets! Yes, mam! x

  34. I love beignets. I first had them in New Orleans at the Cafe du Monde and years later, when my nephew visited, he brought back a bag of the beignet mix for me to make a batch. It was almost as good as those I remembered though I missed the chicory coffee they served with the beignets.

  35. Beignet are a weakness of mine, well fried dough in general. I want to make these so badly but am afraid I will eat the whole batch myself. I would love one with a cup of cafe au lait. When I was in New Orleans for a week I went to Cafe Du Monde every single day sometimes twice a day to have beignet, oh my they were delicious.

    • I know exactly how you feel! As soon as we ate the last one, my family and I were looking for more, and I was contemplating making another batch. It was easy to make but it wouldn’t have been wise at all to do it! Lol! ??

  40. Grew up eating beignets made fresh by my French maman. Never saw a store bought doughnut yet never made them myself! Shame! Your recipe looks easy Angie. It does seem like every Feb celebration was jammed together this year!!!

    • How lucky! I didn’t have as much sweet treats growing up. My mom was, and still is, into healthy eating, whole grain that sort of thing. But as soon as I was able to cook, I started rebelling and making my own desserts, haha… I agree, February seems to always be so jam packed, probably since it’s a short month. This IS a very easy recipe, and fool proof! Happy Valentine’s Day! XOXO

  41. These little heart-shaped beignets are so cute (and they look so tasty). I’ve never made my own donuts (or beignets) before but I’d love to try this method. You make it look so simple. Happy Valentine’s Day!

    • Oh this is very easy, Maria! Guaranteed fool proof! Not the healthiest, coz of the frying but hey, once a year should be ok. And if you make it yours you can use healthier oil ? Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too! ❤️❤️

    • I do, too! Luckily they’re very easy to make so we don’t have to go all the way to New Orleans. Happy Valentine’s Day, Julie! XOXO

    • Thank you!! Now I do have another beignet recipe that’s normally my go-to recipe, but it requires chilling in the fridge for many hours. Supposedly that makes the beignets puff even more, but this one is wonderful as well. Can’t wait to find out what you think!! ??

  46. Yay, for being early! These are beautiful, Angie! I think I’ll make these for my kids on Valentine’s Day. I hope you are doing well! 😀

    • Thanks, Antonia. I hope your kids will like them; let me know how they turn out. I’m doing better right now, was actually taking a sick day from a stomach bug. I should wear a sign that says “No hugs!” at work since I work at a germ factory aka elementary school 😀

  49. At first I was like–these look amazing, maybe I should try them. Then I saw they were filled with Nutella and I was like–I NEED to make these! Thanks!!

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