Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Beignets

The last time (and the first) that I tasted beignets was back in the 1970's in the city famous for them, New Orleans. Beignets are a deep fried pastry, like a doughnut without the hole, but it should be illegal to call a New Orleans Beignet a doughnut.

Recently my 11 year old granddaughter developed a serious interest in cooking, and has been assiduously learning how to cook. One of the things she has taught herself to make is Beignets. She had set aside some for me from her first batch, but her parents and sister ate them all up, over her protests. She and I agreed that my portion from her next batch would be protected at all costs.

True to her word last Saturday night she got her Dad to rush her over here to my home with a fresh batch.
She literally ran up the stairs with them, although that was partly because she couldn't wait to pass them to me so she could get to my iPad.


Weren't they delicious!
She had made some with bananas, some with blueberries and some were rolled in confectioner's sugar. The ones that survived my first gorging have been eaten with a steaming cup of tea the last several rainy afternoons.

Just wait till she introduces them to New Orleans!

16 comments:

Maya(the baking nut. or cake. or pastry. whatever) said...

Hi Granddad! You forgot about the fryer. That prevented splashing, leaving everyone happy and burn-free(except for Papa). The blueberry ones WERE the ones with powdered sugar. I'll make more.... and sell them! Maya's Beignets... yeah.... Then my iPad fund will fatten!
Love you!

Pak Zawi said...

louis,
Now maya is into beignet business. Tell her to export them to Malaysia or at least have them franchised over her. Pak Idrus and me will be two confirmed buyer.

louis said...

Hi Maya,

Grandma and I are very impressed by the way you you dealt with your interest in cooking. You took planned, deliberate steps to master it. It wasn't just a wild fad on your part. We were happy to encourage you with that fryer which itself was an example of your thinking because you wanted it for its safety aspect. Too bad that was too late for your Papa though.

Good luck with your iPad fund, and who knows, your interest may indeed turn into an enterprise. You already have two good potential customers in Malaysia ( read Pak Zawi's comment) :)

louis said...

Hi Pak Zawi,

What a kind and thoughtful comment! Maya will be happy to read it.

Yes, a plate of Maya's beignets would look good on that beautiful coffee table you made for your son and taste great in Idrus' patio.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Wow, Maya, I am deeply impressed! What a thoughtful, caring and TALENTED granddaughter you are!

Louis, you can stop beaming with pride now! All that glowing is blinding us here in Malaysia!

Beignet... B.E.I.G.N.E.T.S.... off to Google them now. Gosh this post made me hungry.

Pat said...

Ahhh, Ee Lynn, so that's why it was suddenly so blindingly bright here in Malaysia: It was Louis beaming from Seattle!!!

Those beignets look totally yummmm, Maya. No wonder your granddad is so proud of you!

Fried stuff, with blueberries and confectioner's sugar, oh lord, save me! I gotta go find me something to eat now! :(

louis said...

CO'78

On behalf of Maya, thanks for the compliment. But, I hope you know you just caused the price of her Beignets for me to rise.

Seems I have become the grandpa I promised myself not to be whenever the granddads at work made all and sundry listen to their tales and look at each of the hundreds of photographs of their grandkids :)

louis said...

Hi Pat,

Seems like you and CO'78 have ganged up on me out here in cyberspace...but I'll have you know that blinding light is just my normal saintly halo :)

Maya thanks you for your compliment.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

But, Louis, we love your posts about your family! Your grandkids and the Digital Divide, your kids and the generation gap (and how your daughter's comment resulted in me being an avid user of the expression "monkey say cool breeze" now), your wife being brought a coffee while waiting for an Indian takeaway... see, I remember all the family-related posts!

louis said...

CO'78,

You mean that long list of family posts are all mine?! OMGggggg!

I think I'll take up painting instead :)

Unknown said...

Hey Maya,

For a second there, I thought that was a picture of ME running up your stairs (which I didn't have any recollection of doing - but that could be because I'm old). You'll have to trade recipes with your cousins.

Love,

Auntie Lise

louis said...

Lise,

When your own parents had that reaction you know it must be true...or that they are overdue at the ophthalmologist.

JALAN REBUNG said...

hello louis,

I'm impressed with Maya interest ..and Louis, if she decided to go commercial please ensure a dozen order from me all the way from Kelang ...hehehehe

louis said...

Rizal,

Good to hear from you.

Maya appreciates your vote of confidence in her baking :)

Sharifah said...

Hi,Louis. I love beignets,too since I tasted them at the Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. I guess, you had the beignets at this cafe as well?

It's wonderful that Maya is so creative with her cooking. The banana beignets sound heavenly!

louis said...

Sharifah,
It's been decades since I had those scrumptious beignets in new Orleans, so I don't remember where except that it was somewhere on that square in front of the cathedral.

I hope Maya continues to do her cooking..I'll do the eating willingly.

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