Of all the recipes I have shared on this blog, all the celebration cakes and pastries you will never guess which is my husband’s all time favourite… His top recipe, and one I get repeatedly begged to make again, is my homemade salt beef. Yes, I had to go and marry a fan of savoury food, though he will eat doughnuts and croissants without too much arm twisting.
The one sweet thing is he is a big fan of is Banoffee Pie – a no-bake dessert that’s usually made simply with cream, bananas, toffee sauce and a biscuit base. And so it was Banoffee Pie that I made on his birthday recently although I could not help myself – I had to add some pastry cream just to make it slightly more complex. Make this when you have a crowd to feed as it doesn’t keep very well (all that fresh cream) and watch it disappear PDQ!
For the crust
300g | 10.5oz digestive biscuits (Graham crackers)
125-150g | 4.4-5.3oz unsalted butter, melted
pinch salt
Method
- Blitz the biscuits and salt in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.
- Add most of the melted butter and pulse until thoroughly mixed. If the mixture is too crumbly when pressed between your fingers you can add a little more butter.
- Lightly grease a 23cm (9in) loose bottomed tart tin and line the base with baking paper. Press the biscuit crumbs into the base and up the sides of the tin using your fingertips. Make sure you have a sturdy, even base and sides.
- Chill for a couple of hours or, ideally, overnight.
- When ready to fill, loosen the tart base from the tin with the tip of a knife and remove from the tin very carefully as the sides can be a little fragile.
For the pastry cream
350ml | 11.8 fl oz whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla paste
2 large eggs
100g | 3.5oz sugar
3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Method
- Whisk together the sugar, cornflour and eggs – either by hand or in a mixer – until smooth.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and vanilla paste until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan.
- Slowly pour the some of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking to avoid curdling the eggs. Gradually add the rest of the milk while whisking.
- Pour the cream back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes until cream thickens.
- Pour cream through a fine sieve into a bowl and stir in the butter.
- Press cling film directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.
Putting it all together
355ml | 12fl oz double cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 jar dulce de leche (or use caramel sauce)
2 large ripe bananas, sliced into disks
3 tbsp chocolate shavings or curls
Method
- Cover the base of the tart with dulce de leche and then lay the banana slices over the entire base.
- Pipe or spread the pastry cream over the bananas and drizzle with a little more dulce de leche and any extra banana slices.
- Spoon the whipped cream on top and scatter with the chocolate shavings.
Notes: Best eaten soon after its made – serve at room temperature.
Use a potato peeler to shave a dark chocolate bar or grate on a box grater.
Steph @MisplacedBrit says
Banoffee pie is one of my absolute all time favorite desserts 😀
Love your pics!
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
What is not to love about anything Banoffee? You know how much a fan I am and this looks amazingly delicious! Yes please!!!!
Sadly, I also married a 'savoury' guy! I just don't get it!!!!!
Luca Marchiori says
This looks absolutely gorgeous. I'm amazed at the crust considering there's no bake. And the food styling is incredible. Well done!