3/4 cup ; water
6 tbsp butter, unsalted, cut into slices
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup flour, sifted
3 large egg, room temperature
1 oil, for shallow frying
1 sugar, powdered, (garnish)
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SAUCE
4 oz chocolate, semi-sweet
1 oz chocolate, unsweetened
1/2 cup ; water
2 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar, powdered
APRICOT SAUCE
1 cup apricot preserves
3 tbsp apricot brandy, or water
Directions
Pour the water into a small, heavy saucepan, and add the butter,
granu- lated sugar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, at which time
the butter should be melted. Add the flour all at once. Lower the
heat, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for a minute
or two, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and beat in the eggs, one at a time,
incorporating each egg thoroughly before adding the next. Continue
beating until thick and smooth. Allow the mixture to cool while
heating the oil.
Pour enough vegtable oil in a large skillet so that it is at least 1
inch deep. Heat to 360 degrees.
Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the hot oil, frying
only a few beignets at one time so that they are not crowded. Fry for
about 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are crusty and a dark golden
brown, turning occasionally with a spoon so that they color evenly.
Note: It is important that the fritters are crusty, if undercooked,
they will deflate before being served.
Using a 10-inch skillet, you should be able to fry 10 fritters at a
time (one-third the mixture).
When they are sufficiently cooked, remove the fritters with a slotted
spoon, and drain on paper toweling. Place successive batches in a 250
degree oven to keep hot while frying the remainder.
Place the beignets on a heated serving platter, and dust the tops
generously with confectioner's sugar put through a wire sieve. Pass
the sauces separately.
Chocolate sauce: Chop the chocolates into coarse pieces and place in
the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Add the
water, butter and sugar. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is
melted and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Remove from the
heat, but keep the sauce over hot water until ready to serve. It
should be served warm.
Apricot sauce: Turn the apricot preserves into a small saucepan. Add
3 tablespoons of the brandy or water, and simmer, stirring, just until
thoroughly heated. Add additional liquid, if necessary, to bring to a
sauce consistency. Serve Warm. Note: if there are any large pieces
of fruit in the preserves, break them up while heating. Submitted By
SAM WARING
1995 111938 GMT
Servings: 30 beignets
Beignets With Chocolate & Apricot Sauce Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chocolate; Dessert; Fruit; Sauce
The History of Recipes
We are able to read the history of `recipes` far back into the far past, at least as far into history as pharonic Egypt, and maybe further still. Interesting though that maybe, generally, these old cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts are a few ancient tablets in the Sumerian language describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who tried it feel exhilarated and blissful. As we move into The time of the romans around 25BC a roman called Apicius created a number of documents detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the roman meals were split into appetizers, main course and desserts, something we still use today. Aspicius informs us how the cooks of Roman times were skilled in the use of a wide range of aromatic flavours, including some that we all recognise for example bay, mint and dill. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods and spices from Arab cooking, including coriander, basil and rosemary. These new spices and herbs led to an increase in recipe books, many of which are now in academic collections. During the next few centuries, the families of Europe competed to offer the most extravagent meals, and as a consequence, the best cooks and their recipes became highly prized. Even so, it was during the nineteenth century that cookery and recipe collections rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, spent years to assembling, trying out, and recording recipes of the day. By the advent of the 20th century, cookbooks were in great demand, as a result of more people being able to read, more leisure time and disposable income. The revolution that is television gave us TV cookery programs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. And that brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Beignets With Chocolate & Apricot Sauce recipe.
