Banoffee Pie

It always amazes me how very few people know what Banoffee Pie is. The smart ones put two and two together and figure out it has to be a Banana and Toffee Pie; others deny its existence! I was very kindly introduced to a Banoffee Pie by a friend of mine at one of the many coffee shops on Baker Street in London. I cannot begin to stress HOW MUCH I LOVE CARAMEL. And what a perfect combination with caramel it was; banana, biscuits, cream. What more could a girl ask for? I tried it out at home many years later and introduced it to my siblings who fell in love with it almost immediately. I have to say my initial process of making the toffee was slightly complicated, but far less time consuming. Later on I moved to the more authentic version of making caramel which was further simplified by my husband. So I put down 3 methods here of making the caramel filling. Take your pick depending on the time and effort you want to put in.

Quick & Easy
6oz butter
3oz sugar
3os dark brown sugar
1 can condensed milk
284ml Elmlea double cream

Place butter and sugar in a non-stick pan over low heat and stir till it dissolves. Add condensed milk and bring to boil and then add double cream, stir to make a smooth caramel.

Classic Form

Take the can of Condensed Milk put it into a pot with water and let it boil for 2 hours. As the water keeps decreasing keep adding hot water into the pot. The water level should come ¾ of the way up to the side of the can. The can won’t burst and you won’t burn the house down.

New improved Method – (Bain-Marie or Water Bath Method)

Take the can of Condensed Milk and empty out into a clear glass dish, any shape or form. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Insert the dish into a larger dish to create a water bath. Fill it up with water ¾ of the way. Bake for 60-90 minutes but keep checking every 30minutes and adding water as and when needed.

Once the colour is a beautiful brown and caramel like, it is ready. Remove from the oven and whisk to smoothness. You might also want to keep checking on the consistency of the caramel while it is baking and take it out when it suits your preference.

Laziest Method by far

Buy a jar of Dulce de Leche from the store!

Ingredients:
1 pack digestives or graham crackers
4-5 tbsp butter
2 bananas
Dulce de Leche made from 1 can condensed milk
200ml carton of cream
Chocolate shavings

Directions:

Crush the digestives in a food processor until it is super fine and then mix in the butter
Spread on a tart dish and press down until it forms a base. The base should not be crumbling in your hand and be firm, like a cheesecake base. Best to put in the fridge for a little while so the base can set
Slice thin pieces of bananas and line a layer over the biscuit base
Pour Ducle De Leche over the bananas and spread
Top with cream and let it set in the fridge for 2-3 hours
Top the cream with chocolate shavings