The typical Mardi Gras treat is the classic King Cake, a ring-shaped pastry, typically made from brioche dough, often filled with cinnamon or cream cheese, and decorated with purple, green, and gold sprinkles, representing the Mardi Gras colors of justice, faith, and power; the key feature is a small plastic baby hidden inside the cake, where whoever finds it is considered "king" for the day and is usually responsible for bringing the next cake!

Our usual fair for Mardi Gras at our eatery locations here in downtown Charleston is a riff on the King Cake using our shortcake biscuits. They're delicious all in their own right, but for this Fat Tuesday, I wanted to level up the celebration and bring a favorite of the Big Easy to the Holy City to make the Callie's way!

Enter: Biscuit Beignets. Yes, you read that right! Beignets made from our beloved biscuit recipe. These treats fried up to golden perfection with a down-pillow inside and crispy outer crunch crust. I made three varieties of the biscuit beignets: traditional powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, and, of course, we had to make one version that was a little extra with the iconic purple, green, and gold sprinkles.

This recipe was the perfect way to welcome the lent season with one last indulgence before Easter, and definitely didn't disappoint. Try the Biscuit Beignets for yourself and save the recipe for year after year!

Instructions:

1. Add your flour and sugar to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add 8 tablespoons of salted butter and work it into the mix in a snapping motion with your fingers. Once your mix is the consistency of grated Parmesan cheese, make a well in the center.
2. Add your milk and mix with your hands until the dough is fully combined. This dough should be more dry and less wet and tacky compared to our usual biscuit dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough. If more liquid is needed to absorb the flour, add milk slowly.
3. Liberally dust the dough, rolling surface, rolling pin, and cutter with the remaining mix. Flip the dough onto a dusted surface. Using envelope folds, fold the biscuit dough twice.
4. Cut the biscuit dough with a square shaped cutter for the classic beignet shape. Set aside on parchment paper until ready to fry.
5. In a medium saucepan, heat oil to 350º. Once oil is heated to temperature, carefully drop in a cut biscuit. Be sure to only fry a few at a time in order not to crowd the pot.
6. Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side to ensure the dough is cooked all the way through.
7. While still hot, sprinkle each beignet with your choice of confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon sugar, or sprinkles. Enjoy!
   

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Shortcake Biscuit Mix