Tropical Fruit Beignets
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 10 servings
- Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Inactive: 1 hr
- Cook: 10 min
Ingredients
For the batter:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 ounce dried yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups cold, light beer
3 egg whites
For the fruit filling:
Canola oil, for deep-frying (enough to submerge the beignets)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
5 small bananas, peeled, cut in 1/2 crosswise; or 3 regular bananas, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and again crosswise
1 ripe mango, peeled, cut into 10 strips
10 thick strips pineapple
Powdered sugar
20 mint leaves, shredded, for garnish
Vanilla-Cinnamon Almibar, recipe follows
Vanilla-Cinnamon Almibar:
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
Directions
- Combine the sifted flour, yeast, salt, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the spices in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the grapeseed oil, egg yolks, and beer. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and whisk until all the lumps are gone.
- Set a mixer on medium-high speed and in another bowl, whip the 3 egg whites with the remaining tablespoon of sugar to a medium-soft peak. Carefully fold the egg whites into the beer batter. Let this mixture rest covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
- In a fryer or deep pot heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
- Whip the heavy cream by hand or with an electric mixer until it becomes stiff. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, mace, and granulated sugar. Coat the fruit with this, shaking off the excess. Now dip each piece of fruit into the batter, and drop 1 by 1 into the hot oil. Cook the beignets until they are golden brown. Place them on a large plate lined with paper towels, gently patting them to soak up excess oil.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with the whipped cream topped with mint leaves.
- For even more flavor, serve drizzled with Almibar Syrup.
Vanilla-Cinnamon Almibar:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan, bring them to a boil, then let them simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the mixture is slightly golden and syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup. Remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Refrigerate the syrup. It will keep for up to 2 months.
- Yield: 1 cup