Gluten Free Beignets

This past month has been quite an exciting food experiment with the Gluten Free Ratio Rally. The Gluten Free Ratio Rally is a group of gluten free bloggers who work together to figure out how to perfect various recipes without the use of traditional wheat flour. The common variable between all the experiments is the use of measuring ingredients by weight instead of volume. Read more about the effort in my post from last month, located here.

Designed by Anile Prakash

This month we worked together on quite the huge challenge - gluten free pate a choux. A basic pate a choux involves the process of cooking flour in liquid (similar to a roux) and then adding eggs and other flavors once its cooled. Once the pate a choux is baked, the paste puffs up and becomes light and airy. Pate a choux is a wonderful method of producing cream puffs, eclairs, and any other light pastry that you would normally fill.

For this challenge, I wanted to produce beignets, which are made either with a traditional yeast dough or based on a pate a choux (what most American beignets are based on). Beignets are light, airy fried pastries similar to doughnuts. They're most commonly dusted with powdered sugar or filled with fruit. In American culture, beignets were made famous by Cafe du Monde, a simply amazing and cultural restaurant in New Orleans. I traveled to Nola a few years back to volunteer in Katrina relief. I instantly fell in love with the culture and food of New Orleans, especially the Cafe Du Monde coffee and beignets. I wouldn't be surprised if half my diet was actually coffee and beignets while I was there...

It's snowing sugar! Coffee + gluten free beignets + powdered sugar = PURE BLISS (and a little bit of a sugar rush...)

Which leads me to my inspiration for this Ratio Rally, to try to create gluten free beignets that fulfill my need for some good old Louisiana culture. It took me three trials to create a good choux. The first trial was not starchy enough and quickly deflated once removed from the fryer. The second trial I modified my flour ratio a bit and experienced a bit of an improvement, but still had too wet of a dough. This led me to my current recipe, which held up the best structure and was not too wet. Let me know what you think, I'd love to continue to perfect the recipe!

Yields: ~25 medium beignets

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: ~3-4 minutes per beignet, approximately 30 minutes depending on the size of the fryer

Ingredients:

210g water

114g butter

38g tapioca starch

38g brown rice flour

28g sweet (glutinous) rice flour

10g almond flour

227g egg

1.5 tbsp sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat a deep fryer or deep pot of vegetable oil to 350F. There needs to be at least 2-3 inches of oil in the pot.

2. In a medium pot, add the water, butter, and sugar, and simmer on high heat. 

3. While the water simmers, measure the flour out into a small bowl, and measure your eggs and place them in another bowl.

4. Once the water mix is hot and about to start boiling, reduce to medium heat and add the flour. Vigorously stir the mix as it begins to turn into a paste. After the paste begins to pull away from the pot and forms a ball, continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes to remove more water from the paste.

5. Remove from heat and let the batter cool for a few minutes so the eggs don't scramble when added to the mix. I transferred mine to another bowl to assist in this.

6. Mix one egg at a time into the paste, adding the next egg only until the last has been combined. At first the paste will look as though it falls apart, but as more eggs are added it will come back together into a lighter dough. Refrigerate the dough for about 10 minutes. (I've noticed refrigeration helps it maintain shape.)

7. By spoonfuls, carefully drop the choux into the hot oil.

My first few were oddly shaped, but the shape turned out better the more I made.

8. Flip after about 2 minutes, or until the side in the oil is golden brown. After flipping cook for another 2 minutes then remove and drain the oil on a plate with paper towels. 

9. When serving, stack the beignets on a plate and dust with powered sugar. 

Thanks to Erin Swing for hosting this month! This was a really difficult month, so thank you for all the time and advice you gave this month! Her Churros are located here, as well as her gougeres with herbed goat cheese mousse.

Along with the rest of the Gluten Free Ratio Rally:

Amie of The Healthy Apple | Pate Choux with Creamy Macadamia Icing           

Caleigh of Gluten Free[k] | Savoury Paris-Brest

Caneel of Mama Me Gluten Free | Key Lime Cream Puffs

Charissa of Zest Bakery | Choux Shine: Koshi-an Filled Cream Puffs

Claire of Gluten Freedom |  Chocolate Eclairs

Gretchen of kumquat | Cheddar Gougères with Dates and Pine Nuts | A Danish Puff

Jenn of Jenn Cuisine | Gruyère & Herbed Gougères

Lisa of Gluten Free Canteen | Cracked Pepper & Cheese Gougères

Mary Fran of Frannycakes | Marillenknodel with ginger and cardamom sugar & chai cream puffs

Meaghan of The Wicked Good Vegan | Cardamom and Rose Water Cream Puffs (with Rad Whip!)             

Pete & Kelli of No Gluten, No Problem | Almond Choux Florentines

Rachel of The Crispy Cook | Cream Puffs Filled with Coffee Cream

Robyn of Chocswirl | Gruyere & Parmesan Gougeres with Sage & Thyme    

Sea of Book of Yum | Rose Vanilla Cream Puffs and Vanilla Eclairs

Silvana of Silvana's Kitchen | Gluten-Free Spinach Gnocchi Parm

Tara of A Baking Life | Parmesan & Black Pepper Gougères | Frangipane Puffs

I'd love any additional suggestions to further better the recipe! I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!