Crobananapeanuts (or, Elvis Peanut Butter Doughnut Croissants)

If Elvis were alive and well in the United States right now, what would he be eating?

Probably the doughnut-croissant hybrid which has taken the nation by storm, known by two memorable syllables: Cronut.

The beautiful marriage of flaky dough and crispy frying has captured the hearts and appetites of many. If you are what you eat, this is a treat so rich it’s practically royalty. This makes it perfect, of course, for a treat dedicated to the King’s birthday. This adaptation inspired by the famous treat comes together in minutes, thanks to the use of store-bought crescent pastry dough, but is unique in its rich peanut butter filling, subtle and nuanced thanks to honey-infused The Bee’s Knees peanut butter. If some is good, more is better, so it’s also got a decadent The Bee’s Knees glaze on top, too. Finishing things off is chopped bananas as garnish,which add a wonderful sweetness that plays well with the honey and peanut butter and pays homage to some of Elvis’s favorite flavors. With all of this amazing flavor going on, I’d like to dub this treat…

Crobananapeanuts (or, Elvis peanut butter doughnut croissants)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 pastries

Ingredients

1/2 cup The Bee’s Knees peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
One (8-ounce) tube refrigerated crescent rolls
Oil, for frying pastries

For the glaze
1/2 cup The Bee’s Knees peanut butter
1/2 stick butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

To finish
1 banana, chopped into small pieces

Directions

1. Line a wire rack with paper towels for blotting the pastries later. Set to the side. Prepare the filling. Cream the peanut butter in a stand mixer until soft, about 2 minutes on high speed. Add the brown sugar and pinch of salt and mix until completely combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Slowly add the cream so that it can incorporate. Set to the side for the moment.

2. Open the tube of crescent rolls. Unroll them so you have a large rectangle.

3. Gently, using your hands, press the indents so that it becomes one big rectangle without perforations.

4. With a pastry brush or a knife, delicately spread about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter cream mixture on half of the rectangle. Fold the other half on top. If you see any perforations on the flipped side, work them into the dough.

5. Gently stretch the dough by hand until it is about 9 by 6 inches. This way, you will be able to get 6 cutouts with a 3-inch doughnut cutter. Cut out 6 doughnut shaped rounds using a doughnut cutter. Try not to twist the dough too much as you remove the cutouts, because this will keep them from rising as much. Reserve the extra dough. Re-roll and cut out 2 more cutouts. Note that these won’t have the same rise as the rest of the pastries, but they’ll still be tasty.

6. Fill a heavy bottomed skillet or large saucepan with enough oil to fill the pan at least 1 1/2 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium heat, until it has reached between 350 and 375°F. Once it has, you can gently place as many cutouts as will comfortably fit in the pan without touching. Fry for about 1 minute (could be a little less), until golden on the bottom. Flip using a slotted spoon, tongs, or a spatula, and repeat on the other side.

7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried rounds to the wire rack lined with paper towels you have set up. Repeat until you’ve fried all of the pastries. Let cool.

8. Now, split the pastries in half. There should be a natural “seam” from where you folded the crescent dough, but a knife will help separate them. The pastries made from the extra re-rolled dough may not separate as easily.

9. Spoon 1 heaping 1/2 tablespoon of the peanut butter cream on to each doughnut bottom, and then sandwich the top back on.

10. Prepare the glaze. Melt the butter and peanut butter together in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir in the confectioners’ sugar until it is melted. There may be some graininess to the mixture owing to the natural texture of the peanut butter–that is ok. While still warm, spoon the glaze over the pastries.

11. Garnish immediately with banana pieces. Serve immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER GIVEAWAY

Jessie took the cronut food trend and created a treat fit for the King, Elvis Presley, by adding some peanut butter, banana, and honey. What other popular food trend do you think could be adapted to honor the King?

Leave a comment below with your answer to enter for a chance at winning a jar of The Bee’s Knees, the peanut butter used in this recipe.

DETAILS:

– The giveaway is open to USA residents only and will run until Monday, January 13, 2014 at 11:59 PM EST.
– One entry per person.
– Winner(s) will be generated via a random number generator and notified via the contact email provided on the comment form.
– Winner(s) will have until 1/16/14 to claim their prize or we will choose another winner.
– Winner will win one 16oz jar of The Bee’s Knees. Product will be shipped by Peanut Butter & Co.
– No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 years of age to enter. See Official Giveaway Rules.