One of the attractions of Banoffee Pie (apart from its profoundly addictive taste) is that it takes about 10 minutes to make, doesn’t even need to be baked, and, of course, all the ingredients are available at the corner shop. Also, beautiful Indian bananas, especially the finger-sized ones, raise it to a whole new level – they have a much more intense flavour than the big ones. I know what you’re thinking – buttery biscuit base plus caramel plus a mountain of cream and bananas equals unbearably sweet. But you’d be wrong. There’s something about the combination of slightly salty biscuit, thick sweet caramel, bright-tasting banana and soft cream in Banoffee Pie which means you just can’t stop eating it.
Ingredients
You will need a 23 cm tin or dish
For the crumb base
- 300 gm digestive biscuits
- 100 gm butter, melted
For the caramel filling
- 400 gm condensed milk
- 50 gm butter
- 50 gm brown sugar
For the topping
- 6-7 small bananas
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 300 ml whipping cream
- 25 gm dark chocolate
Preparation
- In a food processor, crush the biscuits to crumbs, then add the melted butter and blitz again. (You could also put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin, then mix with the melted butter in a bowl).
- Tip the buttery crumbs into the tin or dish and evenly press into the bottom and sides. Put the tin into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- To make the caramel, tip the condensed milk into a thick-bottomed pan along with the butter and brown sugar. Gently heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle boil and let it boil for 2-3 minutes before taking off the heat. Leave to cool.
- When you’re ready to assemble the pie, spread the caramel over the biscuit base.
- Slice the bananas lengthwise, toss them in the lemon juice to stop them going brown, then arrange the pieces like spokes of a wheel over the caramel.
- Whip the cream until stiff, then tip over the bananas.
- Grate the chocolate over the cream.
- Chill until ready to serve. Eat on the same day you make it.
Excerpted with permission from Uparwali Chai: The Indian Art of High Tea, Pamela Timms, Penguin Random House.
Pamela Timms is a journalist from Scotland. She has written for numerous publications. She came to India to discover its wonderful and varied flavours. ‘Korma, Kheer and Kismet: Five Seasons in Old Delhi’ is a record of her experiences exploring the street food stalls of Old Delhi. She records her foodie experiences in her blog, Eat and Dust.
See more