I first tasted sheep’s-milk ricotta cheese at the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, a delightful dairy farm in upstate New York where the milk comes from sheep (instead of cows) and the shepherds are llamas (instead of dogs). Sheep’s milk is richer, higher in calcium, and sweeter than cow’s or goat’s milk, and it makes wonderful cheese.
You can use any good-quality ricotta for this recipe, or even mild fresh goat cheese. It adds moisture and a little richness to the dough, binding the ingredients together without making it wet.–Gale Gand and Julia Moskin
Ricotta-Sweet Potato Beignets FAQs
Beignets are better when served warm. A quick 10 seconds in the microwave will perk them up perfectly. They can also be wrapped in foil and gently heated in the oven, too. They might benefit from a fresh sprinkling of powdered sugar before eating, too.
Beignets are often served with a side of jam for dipping. They’re usually served warm, covered in powdered sugar, with dark, strong coffee on the side. It’s a classic combo of sugary, warm beignet, and bitter coffee.
Beignets have a different texture from doughnuts, which are often quite cakey. Beignets have fewer eggs in the batter, so they fry up lighter and airier than doughnuts.
Ricotta-Sweet Potato Beignets
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
- 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese, preferably sheep’s milk (see above)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls (the size of a walnut) and set aside on a plate. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Just before serving, heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot fitted with a deep-frying thermometer to 365°F (185°C). Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, fry the balls until golden brown all over, moving them around in the oil to make sure they cook and brown evenly.
- Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels or brown paper. Repeat with remaining beignets, making sure to let the oil return to 365°F (185°C) between batches. Dust the beignets with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.
Notes
Ricotta-Sweet Potato Beignets
The dough balls can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I can’t get sheep’s milk ricotta, so I took a tip from the headnote of this recipe and used half goat cheese and half whole milk ricotta. I think it helps to have something with a bit of tang to offset the sweetness of the sweet potato.
The dough, if you can call it that, was a bit more slack than I’d like. It didn’t seem to lend itself to rolling into balls. But that wasn’t a problem. I just spooned it out and dropped it onto parchment, then refrigerated.
The beignets fry up very quickly and will darken too much if you don’t watch them carefully and turn them. The vigilance is worth it. They’re sweet and delicate and a dusting of powdered sugar is the perfect embellishment. I’m not a big dessert person, but these were a hit for me.
Is it possible to bake these instead of deep frying?
Suzanne, I think you’d have a less than stellar dish. Frying is part and parcel of beignet-making.
I made these the other night and shared them with my husband, my daughter, and my neighbor across the street. You couldn’t hear anything but the ooooh’s and ahhhhh’s of everyone’s tastebuds enjoying this sweet fritter. It was really easy and oh so heavenly. You have got to try this. I mean it!!!! It is something that I will be making again and again and again. I think I’ll make a big batch for Thanksgiving. Thanks David…=)
Delia, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! It’s been a fave of ours for a while. Thanks for the comment.