I was in high school when The Princess and the Frog came out. I can remember going to the theatre to watch it with all my girl cousins. (To be honest I didn’t love it at first but now I do!) I was just so excited that it was a Disney Princess and that they spelled it right!

Well when I was getting married my grandma gave me this Princess Tiana cookbook for kids. I put it on my shelf and waited till I my kids got big enough to use it. Earlier last week Will came home from school wanting to make something out of the cookbook. (Which was very fitting because Mardi Gras just finished) We settled on the “man-catching beignets”. Oh my lanta they exceeded my expectations!!!

This version is a “quick” version using buttermilk and baking soda as the rising elements versus yeast but it works great! The real ticket and hidden ingredient is nutmeg!!! The nutmeg really took this recipe to another level!!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 3/4 cups of the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk everything together.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture from Step 1.
3. Use some of the remaining flour to dust your work surface. Place the dough on it and pat it into a large 1/2 -inch-thick square. Dust the top with more flour if it gets sticky. Next, slice the dough into 2 1/2 -inch squares.
4. Now it’s time to fry the beignets. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan on the stovetop until the temperature reaches 325° on a thermometer. Check the temperature every so often while cooking. If it gets too hot, temporarily turn the heat down, or off.
5. Carefully drop 3 dough squares at a time into the hot oil. Fry them for 3 minutes, turn them over, and continue frying for 3 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beignets to a wire rack set atop paper towels to drain. Dust the beignets with confectioners’ sugar, and enjoy