• The ingredients can either be combined by hand or by using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment set to a low or medium-low speed. For this recipe I used a stand mixer.

Make the dough

• Whisk together all purpose flour, castor or white granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add milk, vanilla extract and eggs.
• Attach the dough hook and mix on a medium speed for about 2 minutes. Once the dough comes together add the butter.
• Continue to mix the dough until it comes away from the side of the bowl (about 1 minute). The dough will be sticky at this stage. (If you're mixing the dough by hand and it feels too sticky, feel free to add up to ¼ cup of flour)

Shape the dough

• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a well floured work surface.
• Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your hands and gently combine the dough until it forms a smooth texture.
• You can either roll or gently press the dough until it reaches a thickness of ¼ inch (5mm).
• If you find that the dough is too soft to manage, simply place it in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes before rolling. Chilling the dough really makes it easy to handle and roll or press out.
• I pressed the dough into a ¼ inch (5mm) thick oblong shape, approximately 9 inches (23cm) wide and 10 inches (25 cm) long.

Cut the dough and heat the oil

• Use a pizza or pastry cutter to cut the dough into squares, depending on the desired size.
• I cut the dough out into mini bite size squares - approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares. This made about 50 mini French Donuts (Beignets) (see note 2)
• When the oil temperature reaches 360°F (180°C), fry the beignets in separate batches until the underside becomes puffy and turns a golden color. (See note 3)
• Flip them over, and once the other side has the same golden color, use a slotted spoon to carefully remove them from the oil.
• Frying, typically takes approximately 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. (See note 4)
• Drain them on paper towels after frying to remove excess oil. Then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.
• Beignets are at their absolute best when they're served hot or warm right after frying. They don't taste nearly as good if you save them for the next day. So, enjoy while they're fresh