But seriously, who has spent the past week looking for "out of the box" fun things to do with your kiddos while you're home together for this extended period of time? Well, if you're a Disney fan who loves the beignets over at Port Orleans French Quarter at Walt Disney World (or Cafe du Monde in New Orleans), and you own an air fryer, look no further!
As a full disclaimer, although this recipe was good and we all enjoyed these beignets, they don't taste *exactly like the ones you'd find in New Orleans or at the French Quarter resort, but they are a fun, at home substitution!
During this experiment, I tested out two recipes - one that did not include active dry yeast and one that did include active dry yeast. In the end, although the one that included the yeast took longer to prep, it was definitely the better of the two recipes. The one without yeast was incredibly sticky and too cake-like. So, moral of the story - if you're making these beignets and want a decent tasting recipe, go with the yeast!
After prepping the dough (including rising time) Brayden and I set to work on cutting out Mickey shapes!
We used an air fryer for this experiment because I've never actually deep fried anything (like, ever) and was kind of scared of burning the house down!
I will say, although I love the option of using an air fryer, these beignets weren't as light and fluffy as they would have been had we deep fried them. Don't get me wrong, they were very good, but not Cafe du Monde perfect.
Look how precious they turned out, though!
Jason and I enjoyed this little touch of our two favorite places (Disney and New Orleans) with a cup of coffee for breakfast! Brayden loved them too, and he even asked for a second serving!
Mickey Shaped Beigents (with an Air Fryer)
Adapted from: The Blue Jean Chef
Ingredients:
Yeast mixture:
3/4 cup of warm water
1/8 tsp of sugar
1/2 envelope of active dry yeast (about 1 tsp)
Dough mixture:
1/4 cup of sugar
4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter - room temperature
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1/3 cup of almond milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
- Combine lukewarm water, 1/8 tsp of sugar, and yeast in a bowl to let proof for five minutes. Make sure your yeast mixture makes a froth at the top before using it. If not, check the expiration date on the packaging and start again.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, butter, and sugar and combine.
- Add the egg, milk, and yeast mixture to the bowl and stir until mixture forms into a sticky ball.
- Knead the yeast for a few minutes (about 5 minutes or so).
- Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to let it rise for at least 2 hours. You may refrigerate overnight if needed, but make sure dough is at room temperature before proceeding.
- Once the dough has risen, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch with a rolling pin or cup. Use a Mickey cookie cutter (or any shape you like) to cut out dough.
- Brush the beignet shapes on both sides with melted butter.
- Air fry in batches at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes.
- Once the fryer is finished, transfer beignets to a bowl and cover with powdered sugar.
- Serve and enjoy!
A faster option to making these beignets is to purchase the Cafe du Monde mix itself. Since we are in the middle of this craziness and I was trying to limit my social interactions as much as possible, I opted for making my own at home vs making a trip to the grocery store.
If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments below! I hope you enjoy as much as we did! :)
