HOMEMADE FRENCH BEIGNETS for MARDI GRAS

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Green, purple, yellow food color

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together.
Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour.
Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour.
Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray.
Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours. Can refrigerate at this point or proceed with recipe.
Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350-400 degrees F
Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 3-inch squares.
Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color.
After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels.
While the dough is frying, you can mix each color of food dye into 1 cup of powdered sugar. Or, you can just leave the powdered sugar white.


Using a mesh sieve, sprinkle (if using colored sugar, use some of each color) powdered sugar over the beignets while still hot.

King Cake for Mardi Gras

source

Make dough and roll as you would for Cinnamon Rolls, (or you can use defrosted frozen bread dough) but leave in a roll (do not cut).
Lay roll on a cookie sheet and curve roll into a circle by connecting the ends together. Bake 350 deg. F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool. Once cool, mix 1/2 package cream cheese, softened with 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar and just enough milk to allow the mixture to mix and create a runny icing. You want it to pour over the top of the cake but not all run off. Pour icing over cake and then sprinkle the cake with green, yellow and purple colored sugars.