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Banoffee Pie Recipe

We have a lot of birthdays around this time – mine, Harriet’s, Beatrice’s and Tim’s are all within a few weeks of each other. Tim’s is the last of the great hurrah and this year for his birthday, quite understandably, he requested this pie (it is also the one I served for our medal ceremony).

Banoffee pie was invented in the 80’s in Great Britain. The name is a cross between “Banana” and “Toffee”. In case you, like me, are a little wary of anything banana, don’t let that off put you. The way Tim describes this pie is “it’s like I discovered a color I never knew existed and suddenly the world is more beautiful than before.” My only critique of this pie is that it is very rich and sweet, so for balance, leave the whipped cream unsweetened.

Betony’s BANOFFEE PIE

SERVES 8

For the Pie Crust

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 (8-oz.) package of Biscoff cookies

For the Filling

1 stick unsalted butter
12 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 (14-oz.) can condensed milk (I recently discovered that the off-brand is not as good)
splash of apple cider vinegar – I find that acid really brings out caramel flavors
a pinch of salt
1 banana
1 pint heavy cream

Instructions

Make the crumb crust: Crush the cookies and salt in a food processor until you get a fine crumb texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in melted butter. Press into a pie pan. Press the mixture up the sides of the pan with the back of a spoon. Chill the crust in refrigerator for at least one hour.
Make the toffee: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and melt over low heat. Add the condensed milk and bring the mixture to a boil for a few minutes, stirring continuously. The toffee should darken slightly (keep a close eye on it!). Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt and stir to combine.  Pour the filling into the crust. Cool and chill again for at least one hour until the caramel is firm.
To serve, slice the banana and place them in a single layer on top of the caramel. Whip the cream and spoon it over the toffee and bananas, sealing the filling in.

Mine is a take on this version by Savuer (pretty similar except that I added salt, a splash of acid in the caramel, changed the crust to biscoff cookies, and reduced it from 4 to one banana)

banoffee pie
(credit to Dale Fredrickson for this pic)