Banoffee Doughnuts - Brioche Doughnuts with Banana Salted Caramel Ganache and Honeycomb

BANANA SALTED CARAMEL GANACHE

1. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Heat the sugar, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until all of the sugar has melted (the sugar will clump as you heat, but continue to stir - it will soon smooth out). Continue to cook the caramel until it is amber in colour and just beginning to smoke slightly.
2. Remove from the heat, add the butter all at once, and whisk until it is combined and emulsifed. Add the cream and the salt and whisk until combined.
3. Add the chopped bananas and return to the heat, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bananas have softened. Remove from the heat and carefully blend using an immersion blender, or transfer to a high speed blender and blend until smooth (take care to leave the lid ajar a little to account for the hot liquid so it doesn’t explode).
4. Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot salted caramel over the chocolate and cover with a plate. Leave to stand for 3 minutes to melt the chocolate, and then emulsify with the immersion blender.
5. Transfer the ganache to an airtight container, and refrigerate until chilled and thickened.

BRIOCHE DOUGH

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 2 tablespoon of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoon sugar. Mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
4. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours. Alternatively the first rise can be done overnight in the fridge.
5. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Weigh the dough, and divide into 12 equal weight portions. If you would like to make smaller doughnuts, divide into 16. Roll each portion into a tight ball. Place the rolled doughnuts on a baking tray sheet with parchment paper, leaving adequate space between (you may need two baking sheets).
6. Leave the doughnuts to proof for a further 20 minutes. When you poke them lightly with your finger, it should leave a small indentation that springs back.
7. While the doughnuts are proofing, heat the neutral oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great), or in a deep fryer. Heat the oil to 350°f / 180°c. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl.
8. Once the oil has come to temperature, test it with a few scraps of dough. Gently lower the doughnuts, two at a time, into the hot oil. Cook , flipping every 30 seconds, for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 30 seconds before tossing in the sugar. Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts. Once the doughnuts are totally cool, poke a hole in them using a chopstick, and widen the hole using your finger.

HONEYCOMB

1. Line a baking tray or loaf pan (see notes) with parchment paper or silpat. Measure out baking soda into a ramekin. In a small pot, over medium heat, combine sugar and golden syrup. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, and boil for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add baking soda and quickly stir to incorporate. Mixture will become very frothy. Pour out onto prepared tray. Leave to harden. When set, cut into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

ASSEMBLY

1. Transfer the chocolate ganache to a piping bag filled with a round piping tip. Fill each doughnut with the ganache - you will feel it become heavy in your hand, and will begin to come out the top a little. Pipe a small blob of ganache on the doughnut where the filling pokes out. Top with a piece of honeycomb.
2. Doughnuts are best served on the day that they are made.