An English classic, toffee and banana, invented in East Sussex in the 70s when the chefs eventually reworked an American dish of a coffee toffee pie.

Here’s my recipe for banoffee pie;

Ingredients (makes 1 pie, enough for 8-12)

For the filling

• 100g soft brown/light muscovado sugar
• 1 tin of sweet condensed milk (about 380g)
• 100g butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

For the topping

• Bananas! As many or as few as you like, I usually use 3 or 4
• 300ml double cream
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g white or dark chocolate

For the base

• 1 pack of digestive biscuits
• 100-200g butter

Equipmemt

• Food processor, or rolling pin and a ziplock bag and/or tea towel
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring jug
• Whisk, an electric one helps
• Wooden spoon
• Pallet knife
• Piping bag
• Tart case/quiche dish (22-24cm)
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Microwave, or saucepan
• Saucepan
• Fine grater

Prep and cooking (60+ minutes)

1. First make the base by smashing the biscuits, this is where a food processor helps, if you don’t have one just put the biscuits in a ziplock bag, wrap it in a tea towel and smash it with a rolling pin until it’s fine with little or no lumps.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave/saucepan and mix with the biscuit until it holds its shape, using more butter will help it hold better but too much will make the base go soggy so don’t over do it.
3. Grease the tart dish with butter and place the crumb in, fill the base and push down with a wooden spoon/hands.
4. Put in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to chill.
5. Whilst it’s chilling make the filling by heating the butter in a saucepan on a low heat and add the sugar. Stir constantly until the whole mixture is smooth and clean then add the condensed milk.
6. Turn the heat up full, as it starts to come to the boil turn the heat back down low to simmer for about 5 minutes, make sure you keep stirring it and it should start to turn into a rich deep caramel.
7. Pour this onto the biscuit base and level it out with a pallet knife. Put it back in the fridge for about 29 minutes until the caramel is cool.
8. Ideally you need to do this fairly soon to when you intend to serve it as banana discolours quite fast, you can easily keep the base in the fridge for 2-3 days;
9. Slice the bananas and place on top of the caramel however you wish.
10. Whisk the double cream until whipped to soft peaks. Spread or pipe over the bananas.
11. Grate the chocolate on top of the cream, you could make a caramel sauce to go over the top.
12. Eat the damn thing!

More recipes soon!