Banoffee Pie

  • This is the legit recipe- not to be confused with the Strawboffee Pie, that’s a twist on the banana classic (swapping strawberries for the bananas, if you must).

    Banoffee Pie is just plain right.  Cookie crumb crust, layer of toffee, layer of bananas, then blob of whipped cream (and a sprinkling of chocolate on top if you remember to do so).  See?  It makes perfect sense… classic flavor combos and textures going on to keep you coming back for more.  (Read more about Banoffee Pie in this post here, in case you care.)

    (Forgive me for this sad-looking Baby Banoffee Pie, pictured at right.  The truth is that I was making a Strawboffee Pie- it IS strawberry season and all- and since The Husband is a lover of banana desserts, I stole some of the crust, toffee and whipped cream from the real pie and made him his own weensy widdle baby version, but banana-ed up.  He was jonesing to eat it so I didn’t have time to dress it up [or make it look the least bit appetizing in general, let’s be honest].)

    Adapted from UK Heather’s Strawboffee Pie recipe…

    1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

    1 1/4 cups McVitie’s digestive biscuit crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs)

    1/4 cup sugar

    1/3 cup butter (salted)

    3 – 4 bananas, thinly sliced

    1 cup heavy whipping cream

    1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

    1 Flake chocolate bar (or 1 ounce shaved semi-sweet chocolate)

    1. TOFFEE: Place can of sweetened condensed milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and fill with water, covering top of can.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat slightly, covered, boiling for 2 – 3 hours.  Using a pair of tongs, turn the tin over every 20 minutes or so.  Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before carefully opening can.
    2. CRUST: Preheat oven to 375°.  Melt butter and stir in cookie crumbs and sugar until well blended.  Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9″ pie plate or removeable-bottomed tart pan.  Bake for 7 – 9 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on a wire rack.
    3. Pour ‘toffee’ into cooled, cookie crumb base (like picture below) and place in fridge for 30 minutes (until firm).  Arrange sliced bananas on top of toffee layer.
    4. WHIPPED CREAM: Using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, whip cream with sugar until soft peaks form (scraping down sides of bowl once or twice throughout).  Spread on top of banana layer, and sprinkle chocolate bits on top.  Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

    Tips:

    • Banoffee Pie with Toffee LayerThe toffee does take time.  As Heather says, “so simple, although you need to have a good movie on the telly, whilst you laboriously make the ‘toffee’ part.”    I am not sure exactly why one has to flip the can over in the pot while it’s boiling, but one doesn’t ask too many questions when it comes to toffee.  And make sure you keep the pot filled with water (I used our big soup pot and added way more water than I needed to, so that it wouldn’t boil down while The Husband and I were out drinking mojitos and playing Bananagrams on the patio).  TRUTH?  Next time I’ll make two cans so the toffee layer is thicker.  I know I have a problem with thick layers of rich things, so if you don’t (if you’re more normal) then stick with the 1 can.  (I think I’d only use half of the second can, for the record.)
    • Crust options… graham crackers are the ubiquitous standard ’round these parts here, but apparently the English McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits are “FAR better” (and that’s a quote).  I wanted to be a rock star and use them for my first-ever Strawboffee Pie, but I wanted to chill out with the mojitos more than I wanted to get in the car and drive to World Market (where I’m told they sell these).  Next time.
    • How many bananas to use?  I think 3 does the trick, but if you really want a thick layer of the banana goodness, then just keep adding the slices to the pie.  Banana Beware: after a day in the fridge, the bananas will start to look sad and will start to brown a bit.  Eat this pie on day 1 or day 2- and if you’re like some people I know around here, you’ll happily do day 3, but it won’t look impressive.
    • Garnish?  I kept this pie pure with just the whipped cream on top, but Heather recommends a sprinkling of a chopped up Cadbury’s Flake chocolate bar crumbled over the whole thing. Like the McVitie’s, you can order them online, or pop out to World Market (which I imagine must be like a reunion ground for swarms of UK expats, meeting up weekly in the British section of the store, fighting over cans of Spotted Dick Pudding and other things with lewd names).  Still too much of a hassle?  Sprinkle chocolate shavings from a bit of chopped up semi-sweet chocolate.  Done.
    • Enjoy!
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    June 20th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | 2 Comments | Tags: ,

2 Responses and Counting...

  • Charlotte 06.20.2012

    I heard you can make the toffee using a crockpot overnight…I have yet to try, but I think I might, as the boiling takes forever, and scares me a little.

  • More Sweets Please

    I’m intrigued?!?! Crock pots scare me in general… I dare you to try it and then let me know how it goes? Low and slow would be the key. Yummy.

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