English Banoffee Pie
Crisp biscuit pastry, thick toffee, sweet bananas all lost in a cumulus cloud of chocolate-splintered whipped cream. This is one dessert that thrives on being sloppy.
Despite the lack of a pastry lid, the Banoffee Pie has been securely inducted into the British culinary hall of fame. This pie, contrary to suspicion, was actually created in England, inspired by the American pie tradition that swept the United States in the 1950’s and 60’s. Banoffee pie promises a crunchy biscuit-crumb pastry base, a sweet caramel-toffee layer, fragrant bananas and a duvet of whipped cream with shaved dark chocolate. No matter how sloppily these layer are compiled, and whichever order you lay them down, it will always taste brilliant as you could well imagine. However, despite the rustic lure of banoffee pie, there are actually a few easy pitfalls lurking under all that luscious whipped cream. The biscuit base can be often be too thick, mealy and dry. The caramel-toffee can be too under-cooked and runny, or so over-cooked and hard that it’s impossible to slice. This is where I come in. Allow me to help you navigate these problem areas with a cracking English recipe. First rule: the best banoffee pie I ever ate was made with ginger-nut biscuits as the crumb crust. You could use Digestive/Graham Crackers instead, with some ground ginger added, which I’ve included in the recipe below. The ginger, though subtle in the grand scheme of bananas and toffee, adds a prickly, spicy undertone to all the mild, soft layers. As for bananas, some prefer them sliced and some mashed. I use both: sliced bananas dressed in a small amount of mashed banana for a silky mouthfeel. Once we have the core layers, a skiff of grated dark chocolate is not to be overlooked as just a dinky garnish. It adds a breath of earthly bitterness that appreciates the sweetness beneath it. I also whip some grated chocolate into the whipped cream to fossilise the cocoa aroma into the topping. And what a treat it is. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8x)
BISCUIT CRUMB CRUST
180g ginger-nut biscuits (can use Digestive/Graham Crackers instead, with 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
1 tablespoon honey/maple/golden syrup
50g unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
BANOFFEE FILLING
1x 400g can of condensed milk
80g dark brown sugar
80g unsalted butter
3x large bananas, yellow-brown
2 tsps lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
300ml double cream
2 tsps caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
30g dark chocolate, grated
WALKTHROUGH
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Get a 8-9” diameter pie dish and set it aside.
First we’ll make the crumb crust. In a food processor, or with a rolling pin, crush the 180g of ginger-nut/Digestive biscuits to a fine crumb. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add the 50g melted butter along with 1 tablespoon honey/syrup and pinch of salt. Mix the biscuit crumbs to combine until you can press the crumbs up the side of the bowl and they hold their shape. Tip the crumbs into the pie dish and press to coat the bottom and sides.
Place the crumb crust into the oven on a middle rack and bake for 5-8 minutes at 180C/350F until smelling lightly toasted. Allow to cool. This step is optional, but it will add a nice crunch and flavour to the crust.
Now we’ll prepare the toffee layer. Into a saucepan, add the 400g condensed milk, 80g dark brown sugar and 80g butter. Place the pan onto medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it smells fragrant, like toffee. If using a thermometer, the ideal temperature is 115C. Pour the hot toffee into your biscuit pastry. Spread it quickly to the edges, allow it to cool slightly then transfer it to the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set (or the fridge for 1 hour). The toffee should be soft enough to leave an impression of your finger when pressed. If the toffee was over-boiled, it will become hard and will be difficult to slice.
Now we’ll prepare the banana layer. Into a mixing bowl, add just one of the bananas along with 2 tsps lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt. Mash well with a fork. Add the remaining 2x bananas, sliced, and toss them in the banana mash until coated. Pour the bananas over the toffee layer and spread evenly to the edges. The lemon juice will prevent the bananas from browning too much.
Now let’s make the cream topping. Into a mixing bowl, add the 300ml double cream along with 2 tsps of caster sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 15g of grated dark chocolate. Whisk on high speed until the cream is whipped to soft peaks. Spoon the cream over the top of the banana layer, covering the bananas completely.
Finish the banoffee pie with another 15g of grated dark chocolate. You may also create some larger decorative shavings using a vegetable peeler if desired.
You can serve the banoffee pie straight away, but you may want to chill it for a couple of hours to set the toffee up more firmly before slicing. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy!
