Banana Bombolone with Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

Salted caramel sauce:

1 cup water
2 cup caster sugar
1 cup cream
1 cup water
1 tsp fine salt

Banana bombolone:

300g ripe banana flesh
30g caster sugar
200g milk
200g butter
200g flour
6 eggs

Method

Salted caramel sauce:

Put the water in a stainless steel pot with high sides.

Now pour the sugar into the middle of the pot so that you form a mound in the water. This is so the sugar will melt evenly as the water boils.

Put the pot on the stove on a medium heat, with a caramel thermometer attached and start to melt the sugar - do not stir or move the pot at all, or the sugar could crystallise and you would have to start again.

You are aiming for a temperature of 160 C so just before it gets there, warm the cream and water in the microwave so you won’t get such a vicious reaction when pouring this into the hot caramel.

When the temperature reaches 160 C, working quickly, take the pot off the stove and pour in the warmed cream and water and whisk well.

There should be no clumps of caramel left but if there are just leave it on the heat for another few minutes to dissolve.

Once well incorporated and cooled slightly add the salt and mix again.

Leave to cool.

Banana bombolone:

Weigh out all the ingredients.

Puree the banana and sugar in a blender until smooth, set aside.

Now make the choux paste by heating the butter and milk on a medium heat until the butter is completely melted.

Remove the pot from the stove and add the flour and stir vigorously until the dough comes together, put it back on the stove for a few minutes and cook it until it easily comes away from the sides of the pot.

Add the banana puree to the choux paste and mix again to combine, cook for another 2 minutes.

Put the banana choux paste into a mixer with the paddle attachment, turn it on to a medium speed and one by one add the eggs making sure the egg is completely combined with the dough before you add another egg.

Once all the eggs have been added put it into a piping bag and pipe into a greased ice cube tray, being sure to give the tray a few heavy taps to ensure the mix is totally sunken into the mould.

Leave in the freezer overnight to set.

Heat a deep fryer to 160 C.

Unmould your doughnuts and drop them into the fat and cook them for 5 1/2 minutes.

How ripe your bananas are will decide the finished colour of the doughnuts. They should turn a dark brown colour but they will not be burnt.

While the doughnuts are cooking spoon as much of the caramel sauce on a plate that you would like, followed by some toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Let the doughnuts drain slightly then toss them in a bowl of caster sugar.

Place the doughnuts around the plate and enjoy, perhaps served with vanilla ice cream.