For when you’re sick of banana bread
Pastry chefs share their recipe for delicious (not to mention easy) doughnuts
“Earth to Table Bakes” may have been two years in the making, but the ingredients for the new cookbook came together much earlier: Co-authors Bettina Schormann and Erin Schiestel first met in 2004, in the kitchen at Ancaster Mill in Hamilton. Back then, the former was the executive pastry chef, while the latter arrived as a high school co-op student/ prodigy eager to learn.
Fast-forward to today, and Schormann is now a co-owner of Earth to Table: Bread Bar’s three restaurants, where Schiestel is executive baker/ pastry chef. Their forthcoming book (out on Oct. 12 and now available for preorder) is the sweet result of their long-running friendship: a collection of 100 recipes they’ve honed since then, with emphasis on approachable, everyday dishes you should try at home. Start with this one, a simple way to turn overripe bananas into truly easy doughnuts — no deepfrying needed.
Banana Walnut Crunch Doughnuts
“Baked doughnuts are a super quick alternative to fried ones. They come together with just a whisk and are ready in a snap. This is a perfect recipe if you are trying to find a way to use that ripe banana in your freezer and are sick of making banana bread or muffins. The walnuts give the doughnuts some added texture, and what’s a doughnut without a glaze? Pure maple syrup ties the banana and walnut flavours together well.”
1 cup (250 mL) raw walnuts
13/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose
flour
11/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (250 mL) mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) lightly packed
brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) whole (3.25%) milk
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) banana chips,
roughly chopped
Maple glaze:
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) whole (3.25%) milk
1 tbsp (15 mL) pure maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place a wire rack on one. Grease and flour two standard doughnut pans.
Make the banana walnut crunch doughnuts. Spread the walnuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet without the wire rack. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Finely chop the nuts.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add the banana mixture and 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the chopped walnuts to the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine, making sure not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into a large pastry bag and cut off the tip to create a 3/4-inch (2 cm) hole. Pipe the batter into the wells of the prepared doughnut pans, filling each well to the top. Bake for 12 minutes, until the doughnuts are just cooked through. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Make the maple glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the icing sugar, milk and maple syrup until smooth. Dunk the top of each doughnut into the glaze. Let the glaze drip off into the bowl, then return the glazed doughnuts to the wire rack, glazed sides up, allowing the parchment-lined baking sheet to catch additional drips. Immediately sprinkle the doughnuts with the remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) of walnuts and the banana chips.
Let set for 20 minutes before serving.
Doughnuts are best served on the day they are made but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one more day. Makes 12 doughnuts.