Baked Peanut Butter Beignets with Chocolate-Coffee Sauce

These baked beignets are puffy little pillows of dough coated in a peanut butter powdered sugar and dipped in a chocolate-coffee sauce!

Over labor day weekend we went to New Orleans for our honeymoon, and of course we went to Cafe du Monde for beignets (and coffee for Bob) more than once. Once time may have been late night because why not? They are open 24 hours after all. Since returning home I’ve found myself craving those fluffy fried pillows covered in a pile of powdered sugar. So with the game against Tulane today I figured it was the perfect time to try my hand at making them at home!

However, like most homemade fried things it’s not so much the health aspect that I dislike, it’s the general act of frying food and all that oil that goes to waste! (If somehow knows a use for used fryer oil let me know). So I found a baked version! I was actually quite pleased with how well these turned out. Just look at those adorable pillow of dough! This was also the first time I used the oven to help speed up the rising time. Total game changer! I don’t know if I will ever let dough rise any other way from now on.

Due to being baked, they don’t have that crispy exterior that encompasses traditional fried beignets but I actually didn’t miss it all the much. It could be due to the fact that I did add some powdered peanut butter to the dough as well as to the powdered sugar and then made a chocolate sauce to dip them into – it is #PBchocSat after all! The chocolate sauce actually has a little bit of coffee mixed into it to give you the whole coffee and beignets package.

Four years ago: Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce

Five years ago: Corn Salsa

Six years ago: Peanut Butter and Chocolate French Toast

Seven years ago: Pumpkin Granola

BAKED BEIGNETS WITH CHOCOLATE-COFFEE SAUCE

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

BEIGNETS

3/4 cup warm water (around 100°F)

1/4 cup sugar

1 pkg (0.25 oz. or 2-1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

3-3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered peanut butter

1/8 cup milk

COATING

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup powdered peanut butter

CHOCOLATE-COFFEE SAUCE

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until foamy.
3. To the yeast, whisk in the egg, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and salt. Add powdered peanut butter and then 1 cup of flour at a time, stirring on medium-low, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn up to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly greased heatproof bowl. Turn off preheated oven, place bowl in the oven, leave the door ajar, and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes. Remove bowl from the oven and preheat the oven to 200°F again.
5. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out into a square, about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut out 2-inch squares. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Turn off preheated oven and place both baking sheets in the oven with the door ajar to rise for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffy like little pillows. Remove baking sheets from oven and preheat to 375°F.
6. Brush tops lightly with milk. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer, then whisk in the sugar. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted. Add coffee, vanilla, and salt and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
8. If serving immediately (the best option), brush the tops lightly with melted butter and generously dust with powdered sugar mixture. Serve warm with chocolate sauce.
9. If serving later, wait to add the topping and store in an airtight container. When ready, warm in microwave for 10 seconds, then brush with butter and dust with powdered sugar mixture.

Source: Adapted from Also The Crumbs Please and Serious Eats.