Combine the flour and Crisco in a bowl with a wire whisk until it resembled coarse cornmeal, with perhaps a few lumps here and there.
Warm 3/4 cup of water in the microwave oven until barely warm to touch. Dissolve the sugar in it.
Whisk the flour into the water to combine completely, using a kitchen fork to blend. Work the dough as little as possible.
Turn the dough out on a clean counter and dust with a little flour. Roll it out to a uniform thickness of about a quarter-inch. Cut into rectangles about two inches by four inches. Cover them with a moist, clean towel and let them rise for a few minutes.
Pour an inch of oil into a skillet and heat to 325 degrees. When the beignet dough squares have softened and puffed up a little, drop four to six at a time into the hot oil and fry until light brown. Turn once and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels. It's all right to fry the misshapen dough pieces from the edge of the dough sheet.
