Beignets with Chocolate Sauce

A dessert perfect for anniversaries, brunch, Tuesdays (basically any occasion), TRACE Executive Pastry Chef Janina O’Leary serves up her divine recipe for Chocolate Ganache filled Beignets. Live in Austin? You can have the pleasure of sampling the featured treat on on their special Valentine’s Day menu. For the rest of us…

TRACE Executive Pastry Chef Janina O’Leary’s Beignets

Beignets

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
cup butter
6 3/4 cups bread flour
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for about 18 minutes.

2. Beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together.

3. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.

5. Add the butter and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour.

6. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

7. 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.

8. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

9. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares.

10. Deep-fry, until they become a golden color. Dust with confectioner sugar.

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup white sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1Tbl butter
¼ cup dark chocolate

Directions

1. Boil milk and butter in a saucepan.

2. Add cocoa bring back to a boil and rest of ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes on low to medium heat.

3. Strain and cool.