• 3/4 cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus a teaspoon of sugar
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing bowl
  • Vegetable oil or Crisco, for deep frying
  • 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

The Lenten season will begin on Ash Wednesday. Lent marks the forty days before Easter. Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is also called the Carnival Season. On Fat Tuesday, New Orleanians and tourists celebrate the night before Ash Wednesday. Many people give up sweets, fatty and rich foods until Easter Sunday so on Fat Tuesday fatty and rich food, sweets and King Cakes are eaten by the thousands.

If anyone knows how to throw a party it is our friends and Asheville neighbors, the Muller family. Like everyone from Louisiana, the Muller’s love celebrating Mardi Gras. We always enjoyed all of the authentic Louisiana recipes Maureen and her mom Rita Mae shared with everyone. One year Maureen surprised our family with a King Cake she brought back from a trip back home.

 

Beignets are a quintessential dessert in New Orleans. Here’s how we make ours!

In a large mixing bowl combine the warm water, yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir and set aside until the yeast has dissolved, about 10 minutes.

To the bowl add the 1/4 cup of sugar, salt, egg, and the evaporated milk. Add flour, one cup at a time, and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the shortening, and then gradually add the remaining flour until the dough forms into a mass. Place mixer on your clean counter or island and add a little more flour, if needed, until you have an even, medium-textured dough. dough when kneaded will be tough. You are working the glutens and the proteins tighten up. Add the dough to a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for at least 3 to 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Once rested, the dough becomes soft and supple.

Once rested, gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little more flour on top so you can work with the dough. Gently shape the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle so it can be cut into squares. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut into squares, (you should yield 12 large squares, depending on how thick you rolled the dough).

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat about 3 inches of oil or melted shortening in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat to 350 degrees F. (Be sure you do not add too much oil so there is plenty of room as the Beignets to puff up) . Fry three Beignets at a time. Turn them in the oil while they fry to brown evenly on both sides. Place powdered sugar in a paper bag and toss Beignets in the bag to coat with sugar as soon as they come out of the oil.

Here are some of my favorite recipes inspired by The Big Easy and out friends the Mullers:

Red Beans and Rice
Really Rum Cake
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Claude’s Cajun Slaw
Jambalaya
Crawfish Etoufee
Cajun Hash
Stuffed Eggplant

Pancakes Suppers are also very popular during the Lenten season. Here are some of our favorite pancreas recipes:

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Spiced Nuts
Blueberry Orange and White Chocolate Pancakes
Wholegrain Apple Oat Pancakes
Pumpkin Roll Pancakes
Pumpkin Granola Pancakes