Banoffe Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the crust:

9 ounces/250 g digestive biscuits or graham crackers
1 stick/113 g butter, melted

For the caramel filling and topping:

½ cup (packed)/100 g dark brown sugar
One 14-ounce/396-g can sweetened condensed milk
One stick/113 g butter
1 1/4 cups/295 ml heavy whipping cream
5 small bananas (about 1½ pounds/620 g total)

Method:

To make the crust:

Line the bottom of a 9-inch/23-cm springform pan with parchment paper. Blend the biscuits or graham crackers in a food processor until they are finely ground.

Pour the melted butter over the biscuit crumbs and process to blend well. The crumbs should stick together when pressed. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and 1½ inches/4 cm up the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate whilst you make the filling.

To make the filling and topping: 

Place a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of the pan and cook without stirring for 2 minutes or until the sugar begins to dissolve.

Stir the sugar to blend. Continue to cook 1 minute longer or until all of the sugar is dissolved and becomes a lighter golden brown color. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the condensed milk and butter and slowly stir for 2 minutes or until the bits of caramel dissolve and the sauce thickens slightly. As soon as the caramel thickens, remove it from the heat.

Spread 1 cup/290 g of the caramel sauce over the prepared crust and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the caramel is firm. Keep the remaining caramel sauce at room temperature. To serve, remove the pie from the pan and place it on a serving plate.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream in a large bowl until thick and very soft billowy peaks form. Very thinly slice 3 of the bananas into discs. Fold the sliced bananas into the softly whipped cream and spoon into the prepared pie crust.

Slice the remaining bananas diagonally and arrange them decoratively atop the pie. Rewarm the remaining caramel sauce gently over low heat. Drizzle some of the sauce decoratively over the pie. If the sauce has thickened too much to drizzle, stir a few tablespoons/45 to 75 ml of milk into the sauce to create a thinner consistency.

Cut the pie into wedges and place the pie wedges on plates.  Drizzle each pie wedge with more caramel sauce and serve.