The paper bag trick keeps the beignets neat and tidy.

        Licking sugar off your lips after your first bite of hot, fluffy beignets is a heavenly sensory experience. But what’s even less funny is that after making these classic deep-fried French pastries at home, cleaning up the sugar left on the countertops becomes a hell of a task. Here’s how a simple paper bag, like those used for school lunches, can provide order when packing fluffy soft beignets on the stovetop.
        These donuts are traditionally served straight from the hot fryer, cooled slightly on a wire rack, and then served hot, generously dusted with powdered sugar. A sieve or sieve is often used to apply the classic snow powder coating to a gold surface. Alternatively, place this popular New Orleans pastry in a bowl of powdered sugar, or dust it with your hands to make the beignets even more powdered. Either way, confectioner’s sugar often spreads across kitchens and countertops due to its airy, cloud-like texture. By wrapping the beignet in a paper bag, this mess is minimized and the cleaning process is also shortened as you don’t have to deal with dirty bowls or sieves.
        Instead of adding sugar to beignets the traditional way, do the opposite: add sugar to beignets. Just put some powdered sugar in a paper bag, lightly toss some beignets in there, and shake to coat evenly. Remove the sweet beignets and repeat the process with the remaining rectangles until both sides of each are covered in delicious sweet powder. Don’t try to overdo it with sugar – it’s best to add as you go to avoid wastage. Filling the bag with too much batter can also damage the delicate surface of the beignets, so work through the process in stages so that each cupcake looks as perfect as it tastes. Unlike the classic spray method, this method means that each beignette will receive an even layer of glaze on each side, rather than just a dense layer of glaze on the top surface. Once you’re done with the paper bag, you can throw it away.
        So the next time you think about making the official Louisiana donut at home, use a brown paper bag to store your confectioners’ powdered sugar. Because less cleaning will give you more time to enjoy the sweet treats you deserve: fluffy, sweet and hot right out of the fryer.