Café du Monde’s beignets are legendary: Paired with several cups of strong coffee, you’re one step closer to recovering from an epic night out, New Orleans-style. French toast and pancakes are solid weekend favorites, but why not treat your little ones to these fritters for an extra special wake-up.

Yield: 1 dozen

Add milk to a small saucepan. Scrape out inside of vanilla bean, and add to saucepan with bean. Bring milk to a boil, then remove from heat. When milk is lukewarm (110˚F), remove bean and discard. Transfer milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast and sugar. Mix, and set aside until it becomes frothy, about 5 minutes. Add salt, cinnamon, egg and butter. Mix on low speed until combined. Add flour, and mix until dough just comes together.

Remove dough, and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until just smooth. Lightly brush a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, cover with saran and refrigerate for 7–8 hours.

Remove dough from fridge. (It should have doubled in size.) Roll it out on a floured cutting board until it is between 1/4–1/2-inch thick. Cut dough into 2-inch squares, then cover loosely with Saran. Allow dough to rise for another 45–60 minutes.

Heat several inches of oil in a saucepan. When oil reaches 355˚F on a candy thermometer, add several beignets at a time. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove beignets and drain on paper towels. Repeat process with remaining beignets. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm.

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