Beignets with Pepper Jelly Cream

Beignet is the forerunner of donuts. Yes, the french started it all. Beignet is one of the most universally recognized names for fried dough desserts which are basically fritter batter. With this dish I could have made any sort of cream sauce, glaze, or topping to the beignets, but I decided to go with the duo of pepper-jelly and cream cheese for its rich smooth flavor.

Beignet Recipe

Lukewarm water- 1 cup
Granulated sugar- 1/4 cup
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon
Large egg- 1 piece
Butter, softened- 2 tablespoons
Evaporated milk- 1/2 cup
Bread flour or all-purpose flour- 4 cups
Instant active dry yeast- 3 teaspoons
Vegetable oil for deep frying*
Powdered sugar for dusting

Pepper Jelly Cream Recipe

Pepper Jelly (Red or green)- 1/3 cup
Cream Cheese- 1 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
Brown Sugar- 2 oz.

Preparation for Beignet
Using a mixer with a dough hook, place water, sugar, salt, egg, butter, evaporated milk, flour, and yeast in the bowl. Beat until smooth. Remove dough from bowl and turn out onto a lightly-oiled surface. Form dough into an oval, place in a lightly-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled (3 to 4 hours) or overnight.
Remove the prepared dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly-floured board to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into approximately 3-inch squares, triangles, or circles (your choice); set aside.
In a deep fryer or large pot, heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees and then deep fry individually. when browned on both sides, place in a bowl with napkins and cool.

Pepper Jelly Cream
All at room temparature, with a whisk, mix all ingredients together and then cool. Serve chilled.