Fellow bakers and Mardi Gras enthusiasts, this one’s for you! I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve for the pre-Lent festivities this year. Anyone remember my homemade beignet recipe from last year? Or my festive Christmas tree macaron tower? I’ve combined the best parts of both of these shareable treats for the ultimate Mardi Gras centerpiece dessert: A luxurious tower of freshly-fried beignets, complete with classic homemade hot fudge and easy caramel sauce for dipping. 


Let’s get started!

Beignet Tower

Before you begin, cover your cone with white chocolate and let it set. Now we're ready to assemble!


Pro Tip: You're going to use a bit of melted chocolate to 'glue' the cone onto the serving platter. It helps to keep the cone in place once the tower sets. I recommend that you fill the cone from the bottom up. Then add the powdered sugar to the entire thing. 

Prepared cone with sparkling sugar.
White Chocolate Cone with Sparkling Sugar Coating
White Chocolate Glue
Use white chocolate to hold the cone in place.
Prepared cone with sparkling sugar.
Start from the bottom up!
Add the powdered sugar all over, I like to tap the sieve gently with the edge of a spoon.

Decadent Dips for Beignets: Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce and Classic Hot Fudge Sauce



What's a beignet without some delicious dipping sauces? I mean, they’re still good, but my personal philosophy is that more is more! Take your beignet tower to the next level with my easy homemade caramel sauce recipe and my classic hot fudge chocolate sauce recipe. These delightful dips make a perfect complement for scratch-made beignets, adding rich flavor and extra sweetness to every bite. If you want to get really fancy, try my Honey Caramel Sauce with Koval Honey Liqueur or my homemade blueberry sauce! 

Mary’s Mardi Gras Recipe Round-Up: From Shrimp Po-Boys to Mini Crabcakes and Beyond 


Let's not stop at beignets. Mardi Gras is a time for feasting, and I've got you covered with a range of recipes perfect for celebrating. I love my shrimp po-boys recipe and my mini crab cakes recipe this time of year, and I’ve even put together a master list of all my favorite Mardi Gras recipes… So if you want to know where this came from, be sure to check them out!

Yield: Makes one tower
Author:
Homemade Beignet Tower with Easy Caramel and Classic Hot Fudge Sauce

Homemade Beignet Tower with Easy Caramel and Classic Hot Fudge Sauce

Prep time: 45 MinTotal time: 45 Min
A stack of warm, fluffy beignets, fresh from the kitchen, arranged into an eye-catching tower. It's not just a dessert: It's a statement piece for your Mardi Gras celebration!

Ingredients

For the Beignet Tower
  • 1 cup white chocolate
  • ⅓ cup sanding sugar
  • Two batches of Mary’s Favorite New Orleans Beignets
  • One 16-inch foam cone
  • One package of 2-inch flat wooden toothpicks (The flat picks work much better than round to hold your beignets in place)
  • Confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the white chocolate on low heat. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat.
  2. Place the foam cone on a tray with parchment (this will make clean-up much easier)! Using a pastry brush, coat the entire cone with white chocolate. Sprinkle the sanding sugar over the white chocolate. You will need to let your sparkly white chocolate cone dry for about 20 minutes before you assemble your tower.
  3. When your cone is dry, add a dollop of the melted white chocolate onto the center of your serving platter and place the cone on top. The extra chocolate will act as glue to hold the cone in place as you assemble your tower.
  4. Starting at the bottom, insert 1 pick into the cone. Gently press 1 beignet onto the pick. Repeat with the beignets and picks until the entire cone is completely covered in beignets.
  5. When you’re ready to present the tower, dust the whole thing liberally with confectioners’ sugar and serve with dipping sauces on the side—check out the blog article above for links to the dipping sauces (you’ll want to have these ready in advance). Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @blameitonbiscotti on instagram and hashtag it #BeignetTower
February 12, 2024 — Mary DiSomma
Tags: beignets