Ingredients
Scale
For the Pudding
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 medium banana, ripe and mashed well
For the Doughnuts
- 1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
- pinch of salt
- 3 1/4 – 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling and rolling out dough
- 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- About 6 cups vegetable oil for deep frying, you’ll need about 3 to 4-inches deep for frying
For the Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- splash of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- I think it’s best to start by making the pudding so it has plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator before becoming filling for the doughnuts.
- To make the pudding, in a small saucepan whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk to a thick, smooth paste. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Place the pan over medium-low heat and heat, stirring frequently with a whisk, until thickened. The mixture will thicken after it has simmered for a few minutes. Once the mixture simmers, whisk constantly until the mixture is thick enough to hold streaks.
- Remove from heat stir in butter and extract and transfer to a bowl. Cover so that plastic wrap touches the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate until completely cool. Once cooled and just before filling the doughnuts, stir the mashed banana into the pudding.
- To make the doughnuts, stir together yeast, warm water, and a pinch in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
- In the bowl of an upright stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together yeast mixture, flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more. The dough will be soft and sticky. If you’s too sticky to handle, add up to 1/2 cup more flour. Note: the doughnut dough should be soft and somewhat sticky so don’t add too much flour.
- Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 3-inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps (they’ll make for tough doughnuts).
- Heat 3 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, just over 2 minutes per batch (about 1 minute per side). Before removing the cooked doughnuts from the oil.
- Return oil to 350°F between batches before frying each pair of doughnuts.
- To make the whipped cream, place cream sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Use electric hand beaters to whip cream to soft peaks. Keep cool before filling.
- Let the doughnuts cool to room temperature before filling.
- Place pudding in a pastry bag with a wide tip. Place whipped cream in a pastry bag with a wide tip.
- Insert the back of a spoon into the side of a doughnut creating a space for the filling.
- Gently squeeze pudding into the doughnut. Shake the doughnut some to help the filling go down into the center of the doughnut.
- Set hole side up, and squeeze in a bit of whipped cream. Sprinkle with vanilla wafers. Keep chilled until serving.