So, why is café au lait or coffee with chicory so popular in New Orleans? It, too has its history that dates back to the 1800s. Café au lait is equal parts coffee and milk, served hot and goes best with beignets.
Jonathan Moore and Aubrey Janelle 28 & 26, Portland, Oregon
Jon is a commercial and documentary photographer, Creative Director at The Beans and Rice, and advocate for environmental responsibility. Aubrey Janelle is a lifestyle photographer living in Portland, Oregon, with a passion for journalism and creating narratives. Jon and Aubrey toured the Gulf Coast in a 2017 Thor Motor Coach A.C.E. Class A.
A Taste of Wild – Gulf Coast
Jon and Aubrey head south to the Gulf Coast to discover the hot, humid bayou country, explore the deep and diverse flavors of Cajun and Creole cooking and share their favorite eats along the way.
Beignets and Chicory Coffee
A hundred mossy oaks, all dancing with the breeze, line the banks of the bayou, which rolls along in front of me. Somewhere, a bullfrog coughs. If I listen hard, I can almost hear jazz playing in the distance.
I squint at some Spanish moss. “Like a… beard for trees.”
I snap out of it and turn my head. Aubrey and I are at a campsite on the outskirts of New Orleans. Yesterday we toured the city, with its sights and smells and its electricity. But now, we’re still. As we stand and breathe in the sunshine, inspiration strikes. I grab her hands.
“Baby, put on a pot of coffee. I’m making beignets.”
I dont normally have a sweet tooth, but with a cup of fresh coffee, beignets are hard to resist.
It doesn’t get much better than a cup of hot coffee and a fresh pastry in the morning. But if you want to take your breakfast game to the next level, then we suggest upgrading to a cup of chicory coffee and a heavenly French beignet.
The most famous place for chicory coffee and beignets is Cafe du Monde, a true southern landmark. Established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market, the original Cafe du Monde was just a small stand that sold coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and a sweet, fried pastry called a beignet. In addition to these unique square-shaped pastries, the coffee they served at was blended with a root called chicory. This method of mixing coffee beans and chicory dates back to the American Civil War, when coffee was in short supply. To stretch their coffee supply a little longer, Southerns used to supplement their beans with local plants and herbs. The chicory coffee ended up tasting better than expected, giving the brew an extra nutty, chocolatey flavor. Luckily, they sell this chicory coffee nationwide in an iconic yellow tin, which means you can have a steaming mug of Cafe du Monde with your homemade beignets, wherever you make them.
Start your dough early, you want to give it time to rise before you get too hungry in the morning.
Knead until the dough comes together and gets a slightly glossy finish.
Put the dough down for a 2 hour nap before you move onto the next step.
A few tips for cooking with hot oil: Toss a tiny bit of dough into the oil to test the temperature—did the dough cook too quickly? Or barely brown at all? Based on how the small piece cooks, you can adjust the heat accordingly. You’ll know the beignets are done when the oil surrounding them stops bubbling. Once you take the beignets out of the hot oil, immediately place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease. (No one likes a soggy beignet.)
Traditional French-style beignets are usually served warm with a light layer of powdered sugar. But if you want to add your own twist to these delectable treats, feel free to add jam, chocolate sauce, hazelnut spread or maple syrup instead.
Slice and dice into rough one-inch squares.
A thermometer is crucial for deep frying.
Fry and put the kettle on for coffee.
Finish hot beignets with a mountain of powdered sugar.
Yield: 25-50 pieces
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- ⅔ cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons shortening, vegetable oil or bacon grease
- 2 cups neutral oil
- Powdered sugar
Ground coffee with chicory (Cafe du Monde or any other brand of your choice)
- Stove
- Small pot
- 2 medium bowls
- Cutting board
- Rolling pin
- Paper towels
- Thermometer
- Place the yeast in a small bowl with water and sugar and let sit for 10 minutes to “bloom.”
- In a medium sized bowl, combine milk, salt, flour, 3 tablespoons fat and the yeast mixture. Mix together using your hands. Once blended, transfer onto a clean surface and knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
- Place the dough back in a medium sized bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm area and let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
- Once risen, punch down the dough. Then roll the dough out to ½ inch thickness. Cut dough into approximate 1-inch squares. A pizza slicer comes in handy here.
- Add 2 cups of oil in a small pot so that you have enough oil for the dough to float in. Heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Carefully drop the beignets into the hot oil. Do them in batches so you can flip them over while frying. Crowding the pot causes uneven cooking and difficulty getting the beignets out of the oil.
- Once they turn a light golden brown, transfer the beignets onto a plate lined with paper towel.
- Top with powdered sugar dusted through a screen. Enjoy with fruit, jam, or maple syrup and a fresh cup of coffee with chicory.
Yield: 1 serving
Cafe du Monde ground coffee or another coffee with chicory
Pour over cone and kettle (optional A)
- Pour-over method: Bring 12 oz. water per desired serving to a boil in a kettle. Remove from heat and let rest for half a minute to cool slightly. Line a pour-over cone with a paper filter, then pour a bit of the water over the filter to moisten it. Add 4-5 tablespoons finely ground coffee to the filter; it should be about the texture of sand grains. Going slowly, pour off just enough water to soak the coffee grounds, then wait for the coffee to filter through for a moment. (This preps the grounds to absorb more water in the next step.) Now, add the rest of your water in stages, pouring slowly to keep the grounds saturated without overflowing as the coffee filters out the bottom. Pour into a mug and add milk to taste. Cafe du Monde is generally served as a cafe au lait, with a 1:1 proportion of milk to coffee.
- Saucepan alternate: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over a stove or a campfire. Remove from heat and add ½ cup ground coffee with chicory; stir to combine. Let steep for 2 to 4 minutes. (You may need to adjust the time depending on how strong you like your coffee, your current altitude, and the grind of the coffee you have.) Slowly pour 1 additional cup of cold water into the pan––this helps settle the grounds and stop the brewing process. Let sit for 1 additional minute to let the grounds sink to the bottom of the pan. Then carefully pour brewed coffee off the top into a mug and add milk to taste. Cafe du Monde is generally served as a cafe au lait, with a 1:1 proportion of milk to coffee.
Serve with Cafe du Monde coffee or another coffee blend with chicory for an authentic Louisiana experience.
Jon and Aubrey used the stove and cutting board from Camp Chef, a brand THOR recommends for easy campground cooking.
Making beignets at Cafe Du Monde
FAQ
What are beignets served with?
What kind of coffee is New Orleans known for?
Does cafe beignet serve chicory coffee?
What is special about chicory coffee?
What makes a good beignet?
Granulated sugar: Activates the yeast and for sweetness in the dough. Active-dry yeast: Beignets are made from yeasted dough. Large egg: Adds the right amount of richness and tenderness. Evaporated milk: This shelf-stable, highly concentrated type of milk has 60% of the water content evaporated from the milk, making it extra rich and creamy.
What are the healthier substitutes of coffee?
Individuals who cannot consume coffee have a few alternatives to choose from. For individuals who have acid reflux or who want a less-stimulating caffeinated beverage, green tea is a healthy option. Alongside its lower caffeine content, green tea also contains the health promoting plant compounds L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG). L-theanine has been shown to promote a state of calm awareness; providing the attention and alertness associated with coffee, without the overstimulating side effects. Brewed cacao powder(not to be confused with cocoa) is another healthy option that has even less caffeine than green tea. Cacao powder is made by cold-pressing raw cacao beans, then that powder is brewed like coffee. Cacao contains antioxidants and a compound called theobromine, which is a naturally occurring stimulant that promotes wakefulness and is less stimulating compared to caffeine. Brewed cacao may not be appropriate for individuals with acid reflux.
How do you make beignets taste good?
Drain the beignets on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or paper towels. 13. Dust heavily with powdered sugar. Beignets simply taste like light fluffy donuts with a hint of sweetness from the powdered sugar on top, depending on how much you use of course.
What are beignets & how do you eat them?
What are beignets? Beignets are square shaped pieces of dough that are deep fried and generously dusted with powdered sugar. They’re often served hot and in groups of three, with many people preferring to pair them with a cup of café au lait (coffee and milk w/chicory).