Paleo Apple Beignet
Apple Beignet
Oooh the taste of an apple beignet. The apple is soft inside, the coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture is melting in the middle. And now finally you have a paleo version. Yes, that’s right a paleo apple beignet.
Beignet is a French term and can be compared to an English fritter. In essence it’s a pastry that is made from deep-fried choux pastry. Beignets may also be made from other types of dough, like yeast dough. For mine I used yeast dough. The portion I made is enough for 8 pieces of beignets. But it really depends on the size of the apples. In my case I had really big apples.
I served my apple beignet on a plate I inherited from my grandma, which is more than 100 years old. It was one of her treasures and she only used it on holidays. Throughout the years I made sure to take really good care of it. I don’t know what it is but I’m feeling very nostalgic these days. But I decided to embrace it and took out my grandma’s plate for these beignets.
Christmas is Coming
I immediately know Christmas is coming when I spot this cart in the city center of the Hague. Traditionally, every November these carts move in all over the city and start selling apple beignets and oliebollen (which is the Dutch version of beignet) on the streets. The cinnamon scent is all over the city and I immediately get that Christmas feeling. What are the signs for you that Christmas is coming?
Cinnamon
The combination of apple and cinnamon is an all-time classic. There is no apple pie, apple jam or sauce without cinnamon. And it’s a basic ingredient in apple beignet also. Cinnamon happens to be one of my favorite household spices. There are actually two main types of cinnamon. You have Ceylon cinnamon, also known as ‘true cinnamon’. It is native to Sri Lanka and the southern parts of India. And the other one is Cassia cinnamon. Which originated in Southern China and is also known as Chinese cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is a high-quality, highly prized spice. It has beautiful mild flavor. Cassia cinnamon on the other hand is the most common variety. And it has a stronger flavor than Ceylon. I used Ceylon cinnamon, because I like its mild flavor and fine texture.
That Christmas Feeling
Bring the Christmas markets to your home by making these Paleo Churros and don’t forget the hazelnut chocolate cream a la ‘Nutella’.
Paleo Apple Beignet
Ingredients
- 60 ml water lukewarm
- 60 ml maple syrup
- 9 gram yeast
- 250 ml almond milk or coconut milk
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 pinch salt
- 125 gram cassava flour
- 90 gram tapioca starch
- 25 gram coconut flour
- 2 apples peeled, deseeded and sliced to 5 mm thick rings
- 6 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- coconut oil for frying
- tapioca flour and xylitol powder mixture for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, water and maple syrup in a bowl. Leave the mixture rest for 10 minutes, until it froths.
- Mix almond milk and egg in a small bowl.
- Combine cassava flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour and salt in a big bowl.
- Pour the milk mixture and the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and knead well together by hands.
- Make a bit bigger than walnut size balls from the dough by hands.
- Roll the balls between 2 parchment paper to 3 mm thick discs.
- Cut out 5 mm larger circles than the apple slices. I used a mug to cut perfect size.
- Mix coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl then twirl apples slices in it.
- Place apple slices in the middle of the circles and cover with other circles of the dough.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on high heat. The oil has to be 3cm deep in the pan.
- Fry the beignets on both sides for 1,5 – 2 minutes, until golden brown. Be careful, hot oil could burn them very fast! Fry only 2-3 donuts in the pan at a time!
- Place freshly fried apple beignets on paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.
- Serve beignets warm! You can warm them up in microwave if you have left over, but it’s the best in fresh. Enjoy!