Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes + frying

If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to try rellenitos. A kind of traditional Guatemalan fritter, they are a popular street and fair food.

Rellenitos are made of cooked mashed plantains filled with black bean paste, sugar and cinnamon, and then deep-fried. When mixed with sugar, the beans’ taste and texture are similar to chocolate. Some recipes use breadcrumbs to make the bean paste drier, while others roll the rellenitos in flour before frying for a crispier surface, creating a nice contrast of textures. 

 Plantains

1. Wash the plantains. Using a knife, split the peel along its entire length. Halve the plantains. 
2. Cook the plantains in a liter of water with the split cinnamon stick and sugar for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once the split peel begins to open up and the flesh is soft, immediately remove the plantains from the water - you don't want the flesh to disintegrate; drain and cool.
4. Peel the plantains and purée the flesh with a pestle or in a blender.
5. Divide the flesh into 12 balls.

Black beans

1. Purée the black beans with the oil, sugar, ground cinnamon and chocolate. The paste should be fairly dry so that it holds together and doesn't run. 

Forming and finishing

1. With moistened hands, take one plantain ball and flatten it between your hands like a pancake; it should be neither very thick or very thin.
2. Place a spoonful of bean purée in the centre.
3. Close the plantain around the bean paste. You should not see any bean paste escaping or the rellenitos may open up when cooked. Form them into an oval shape. 
4. Fry the rellenitos in a skillet or pot in a generous amount of oil. 
5. Sprinkle with sugar and serve hot or warm.