Chef Nina Compton’s Banana Beignets with Pecan Rum Caramel

Preparation

Prep the beignet dough: In a medium bowl, mix the water, granulated sugar, and yeast. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the milk, egg, and salt. Mix on low speed to combine until it’s incorporated and foamy, 2 minutes. 

Add the bread flour to the yeast mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently combine. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough comes together and it develops a sticky, stretchy texture. 

Add the butter and continue to mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the stand mixer bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Make the pecan rum caramel: In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, rum, and curry powder over medium heat until just warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, melt the sugar and salt over medium heat, without stirring. Cook to develop an even, dark amber color, until it caramelizes, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Don’t rush this part, and ensure the cream is warmed through. (The sugar is hot, so you want to temper the liquid slowly: Slowly add the warm cream mixture, using a whisk to mix constantly as you pour. Keep mixing until everything is fully incorporated.) Add the butter and whisk gently until combined. Strain the caramel into a medium pot, using a fine-mesh strainer to remove any crystallization. Add the toasted and chopped pecans, and stir to combine. Set aside and reserve.

Make the banana cream filling: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk on medium until it’s very hot but not boiling, 3 to 5 minutes.  

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in the hot milk and beat with a whisk until well blended. Slowly add the beaten egg yolks to the bowl, taking care to temper them in so the eggs don’t cook (we don’t want scrambled eggs). Going slowly allows the egg yolks to adjust to temperature without curdling. Pour everything back into the saucepan and continue to stir vigorously over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens and becomes smooth. Set aside to cool, but continue to stir about every 30 seconds to ensure the mixture isn’t sticking. 

Mash or small-dice the banana in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the cream filling in the saucepan and stir to fully combine. 

Fry the beignets: In a medium pot, add canola oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat on medium to 325ºF; check with an instant-read thermometer. Fit a cooling rack over a sheet pan.

Flour a surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a rectangle that’s ⅓-inch thick. Using a dough cutter or knife, make 2-oz. portions for the beignets (about a 3-inch square). You’ll have about 18 beignets.

Drop the dough squares into the oil, cooking in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove, and let them drain on the cooking rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Assemble the beignets: Place the filling into a piping bag with ¼-inch attachment, or a zip-top bag with ¼-inch of the corner trimmed off. Make a small incision in the center of one side of the beignet. Fill each beignet with some of the banana cream. Drizzle the pecan rum caramel over the top, then dust generously with confectioners’ sugar! Go crazy! Enjoy warm.