Originally from France and brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists, beignets have become a large part of home-style Creole cooking. Makes 16 beignets.

3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 cup warm Longmont Dairy whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large First Light White Egg
3 tablespoons Country Cream butter
1½ to 2 quarts vegetable oil
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mix flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Warm milk to 100°F, add remaining tablespoon of sugar and yeast, and let sit 5 minutes, until foamy.

Beat egg into the foamy milk mixture and add to the mixing bowl of flour. Mix by hand, or with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer set to low about 1 minute, until you get a wet dough with dry bits throughout. Melt butter and, with a dough hook, incorporate on low about 1 minute. Knead on medium-high for about 6 minutes. The dough should be tacky to the touch but not so wet that you can’t handle it. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and roll into an oblong shape about 10” x 14” and ¼” thick. Cut into 16 rough rectangles and cover with a tea towel to rest while you heat the oil to 325°F in a large 4-quart pot. Fry the beignets in batches until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Use tongs to remove beignets out and place on a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Let some of the fat drain off for about a minute before dropping into a bowl with the sifted powdered sugar. Turn to coat. Repeat with remaining beignets. Serve warm with hot coffee on the side.