There are many more varieties of banana then the bright yellow Cavendish we are used to seeing at the grocery store. Little manzano bananas, for example, have a bit of apple-strawberry  flavor to their sweetness. Chef Kelly Liken of her eponymous restaurant in Denver, CO, makes mini banana doughnuts with a slice of manzano banana hiding inside. She serves them with  banana ice cream, chocolate peanut sauce and honey-glazed bananas—but we think the doughnuts are awfully good on their own.

 

Makes 3 dozen mini doughnuts

Doughnut Dough Ingredients

3 large eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ¼ tsp salt

2 ¼ tsp instant yeast

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Additional dusting of flour for rolling out

Eggwash Ingredients

1 egg and 1 Tbsp water, whisked together

Filling Ingredients

2 regular Cavendish, or, 3 manzano bananas, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick

Instructions

1. In a standing mixer, blend eggs to combine and add buttermilk, just to combine
2. Mix in sugar, salt and yeast.
3. Add 2 cups flour and all of the melted cooled butter. Mix until evenly distributed.
4. With dough hook attachment on mixer, add all of the remaining flour (2 1/4 cups) and knead for 10 minutes on lowest speed.
5. Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place dough in bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours until doubled in size.
6. On flour-sprinkled surface, roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness. Using a 1-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Brush half with egg wash and top with banana slices. Place a dry dough round on top of each banana slice. Using finger tips, press the two rounds together to seal each mini doughnut.
7. Let rest to slightly rise again for 10 minutes. Fry at 360 degrees until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning over half-way through timing, to brown bottoms.