Banoffee Pie

It's hard to believe, but one year ago today I started The English Kitchen! What a great year it has been! I've cooked tons of food, baked lots of cakes, moved my home and kitchen, and worked my way through hundreds of delicious recipes.



I've had roughly a half a million visitors, from every corner of the globe, which is just fabulous!! I have really enjoyed getting to know some of you a little better, and all the feedback which I have received has been just wonderful. It's always nice to know you are appreciated! And I want you to know I appreciate all of you right back!!



I think anniversaries always call for celebrations, and celebrations always call for something tasty and delicious to eat! Wouldn't you agree???



Something rich and decadent of course, and you just can't much more decadent than a tasty Banoffee Pie! Once sneeringly called "The Staple of Middle Class Dinner Parties" by the Daily Telegraph, I think this tasty dessert has ridden the wave of criticism, and come out on top, a winner in every sense of the word!



At one time it was considered to be more than trendy. Now it is seen as pure comfort food. I don't know many people that don't like it! Quick, easy and oh so very deliciously scrummy . . .



Imagine a tasty, buttery digestive biscuit crust, stogged full of lucious toffee and sliced bananas, slathered with a rich topping of lightly sweetened double cream . . . and a final sprinkling of chocolate bits and sprinkles . . .



Every forkful is a celebration, truly. At least that's what Todd said, and I do so trust his opinion.



You can make your own toffee for the filling of course, but . . . why bother when you can get exactly the same thing in a tin, with all the hard work already done for you? I'm into comfort cookery, not extreme sports . . . truly.

Sometimes it's ok to cheat. Delia said so. I trust her opinion too. So there . . .




*Banoffee Pie*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe


A tasty little creation invented in a restaurant called the Hungry Monk, near Eastbourne in 1971. Digestive crumb base, toffee filling, sliced banana, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. What's not to like?

For the crust:
60g butter, melted
300g oaty biscuits, crushed until fine
(In America make a graham cracker crust, using 1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar
and 1/4 cup plus 2 TBS of melted butter)

Filling:
3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
397g tin of Carnation Toffee
(approximately 2 cups dulce de leche)
350ml of double cream
(1 1/4 cup heavy cream)
1 TBS honey

To garnish:
chocolate shavings or sprinkles

Make your crust by mixing together the crumbs and melted butter. Press into a 9 inch tin or line the base of a bowl. Set aside in the fridge to chill for about half an hour. Dump the toffee into a bowl and loosen it with a fork. Spread it over the chilled base. Arrange the banana slices over top of the caramel. Whip the cream and honey to soft peaks. Spread over top of the bananas. Sprinkle with the chocolate shavings or sprinkles. Chill for several hours before cutting into slices or spooning out to serve.

Note - the original recipe from the Hungry Monk uses coffee powder on top.



In honor of my one year bloggiversary I am giving away to one lucky reader a copy of the delicious cookery book, Just like mother used to make, by Tom Norrington-Davies. This tasty book is a celebration of home cooking and just jammed full of good old fashioned British comfort eating and family classics. To get in on the fun just leave a comment at the end of this post! I'll be drawing a winner at the end of the week, so spread the word.