Having trouble finding a picture that will show here. Here's part of the Wiki entry.
Beignet (English: /bɛnˈjeɪ/; French: [bɛɲɛ], ben-YAY literally bump),[1] synonymous with the English "fritter", is the French term for a pastry made from deep-fried choux pastry.[2] Beignets may also be made from other types of dough, including yeast dough.
Beignets are commonly known in New Orleans as a breakfast served with powdered sugar on top.[2] They are traditionally prepared right before consumption to be eaten fresh and hot. Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French. In the United States, beignets have been popular within New Orleans Creole cuisine and are customarily served as a dessert or in some sweet variation. They were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists,[4] from "the old mother country", and became a large part of home-style Creole cooking, variations often including banana or plantain – popular fruits in the port city. Today, Café du Monde is a popular New Orleans food destination specializing in beignets with powdered sugar, coffee with chicory, and café au lait. Beignets were declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana in 1986.
Exit Wikepedia - Traditionally they were made at two locations in the French Quarter that sold only beignets and cafe au lait. Not too many places other than these two sell them because a) they have to be eaten fresh and b) they need to be cooked fresh in their own oil. They're not sweet in themselves, and so powdered sugar is lavishly sprinkled on them. My family always called putting the sugar on as "spanking the baby" because you need to hit the bottom of the sugar cannister. This post is getting too long and detailed now, so just take it from me, they're good.
Oh, they're something like a Mexican sopapilla (sp?). Except sopapillas have honey put on them.
