A traditional New Orleans food, beignets have been a treat for young and old for many generations. They are small pieces of freshly fried dough, generally rolled in sugar or served plain. But how to reheat beignets properly?
Their appeal is that they are served hot out of the fryer, but that may not be possible. Some people might want to know how to reheat beignets or if it is even possible.
The answer is yes, and there are two ways to go about it.
Using the Oven to Reheat Beignets
These tasty treats can turn mushy and limp if they are reheated incorrectly, so they need to be reheated in the oven on a flat cookie sheet or placed on a rack in a slightly deeper pan. This dries the outside while they are heating and reactivates the oil without drying out the inside.
Preheat the oven to three hundred twenty-five degrees, and let them bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes. They will be piping hot and ready for the table.
If a cookie sheet is not available, the use of a deeper pan with a rack will yield the same result.
The main reason for the rack is to elevate the beignets so they are not sitting down in the pan.
Reheating them in the oven correctly is about actually roasting them as they reheat, and it requires hot air on all sides. Sitting down in the pan will actually cause them to steam, and it will produce the soggy or mushy feel that should be avoided at all costs.
For those who want hot beignets, it is worth taking them time to reheat them properly for the best results.
Using the Microwave
The way a microwave heats food is to heat the water inside it, so microwaving beignets is not always recommended. If that is the only option available, it can be done. It will take a lot less time, but being able to vary the microwave’s power level is essential.
If using the microwave, place them on a dish safe for that oven, and set the power level to three. Let them heat for only twenty seconds, and be careful taking the out. If the microwave does not heat them quite hot enough, place them back in at the same level three power setting and cook for no more than five seconds.
As a freshly fried treat, beignets are a wonderful way to share a traditional food at almost any time of day. They can be a breakfast staple, an afternoon snack, or they might be a delight at a gathering of friends and family.
For those who need to know how to reheat beignets, these are the best two ways to go about it without refrying them to make them too hard to enjoy.