Churro Beignets
Churros and beignets are two deep-fried classics, but they’re really only great when they’re still piping hot from the fryer, which means enjoying them at their best is often a rare occurence. Here, however, not only have I combined both treats into one, but the air fryer keeps them crisp on the outside and fluffy inside without all the extra oil. Keep extras in your freezer and pop a few in the fryer to reheat whenever the craving hits.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Vegetable oil for brushing
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, salt, vanilla, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, let cool for 1 minute, then add 1 egg, stirring vigorously until the dough is smooth again.
- Repeat with the remaining egg.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and sprinkle the top with more flour.
- Pat the dough into a 9-inch square about ¼ inch thick.
- Flip the dough sheet over from time to time and add more flour if it’s sticking to the surface (don’t worry about adding too much flour since you will brush it off later).
- Cut the dough square into 16 smaller squares and transfer them to a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Using a dry pastry brush, dust off as much of the excess flour as you can on both sides.
- Chill the beignets on the sheet in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large brown paper bag.
- Using a pastry brush, brush 4 squares all over with enough oil to coat well.
- Place them in one layer in the air fryer and cook at 400°F until golden brown and puffed, about 13 minutes.
- As soon as the beignets are done, use tongs to immediately transfer them to the paper bag and shake them in the cinnamon-sugar to coat.
- Repeat with the remaining dough squares and cinnamon-sugar in three more batches.
- Serve the beignets hot.