Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour

Recipe courtesy Executive Pastry Chef Arnaud DeSaletan, George V Hotel, Paris

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 eggs
3 1/2 ounces blonde beer
3 1/2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 Granny Smith or other tart firm apple, peeled and cored
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

1. Mound flour in a large mixing bowl. Combine salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar and place them at one edge of the bowl. Put the yeast on the other side. (Do not mix the yeast and the salt yet; the salt will soak up the moisture in the yeast, killing it.)
   
2. Stir first the eggs and then the beer into the flour.
   
3. Mix in 3 1/2 tablespoons water, incorporating the sugar, salt and yeast as you go and working until the batter is smooth.
   
4. Cover batter with plastic and set it aside in the refrigerator to relax for at least 1 hour.
   
5. Whip egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Fold whipped whites into batter (this makes for lighter beignet).
   
6. Heat about 2-inches of oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350F.
   
7. Slice the apple into eight 1/2-inch thick slices. Mix remaining teaspoon sugar with the cinnamon. Dust apple slices with cinnamon-sugar.
   
8. Working in batches of 2 or 3, dip slices of apple into batter, then carefully drop each beignet into hot oil.
   
9. Fry beignet until crisp and uniformly golden brown, about 4 minutes per side, then drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
   
10. Allow beignet to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. Fine Living has not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.