Banoffee Pie

Back when I was in 7th grade, my father got a three-week contract working in England and one of the perks was that the company provided him with a condo for the duration. Our folks pulled us out of school (writing all the requisite letters to ensure we each arrived with a pile of school work to keep us busy) and took us to England. One of my mom's favorite treats while we were over there was Banoffee Pie, which I don't remember vividly, other than the fact that my mother adored it.

Flash forward over ten years (this brings us to approximately two weeks ago): I'm pouring over a Jamie Oliver Cookbook that we received as a wedding gift and I discover a recipe for Banoffee Pie. Remembering how much my mother adored it, and her occassional mentioning of it in recent years, I realize this would be the perfect birthday dessert to make for her (clearly without regard to her recent diagnoses of "pre-diabetes"). She was pleased with her birthday dessert, though we decided to add some melted chocolate to the bottom of the crust next time we make it and to increase the amount of bananas (directions below have accommodated this suggestion).

The filling was surprisingly easy -- though boiling and cooling the cans of sweetened condensed milk takes time, so plan accordingly. His method of preparing a pastry crust was top notch -- though the result was more shortbread than your typical pastry crust. If you're not up for making the crust, I think a simple graham cracker crust or even a store bought shell would work just fine -- this dessert is all about the bananas and toffee. If you do decide to make the crust, you'll find the MicroPlane Zester quite helpful.

Banoffee Pie

Ingredients:

• Pastry Crust (directions below)
• 2 14oz cans of sweeted condensed milk
• 4-6 bananas
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Take cans of sweetened condensed milk, unopened, and place in a large pot filled with water. Bring water to a boil and continue cooking for about 4 hours. Make sure that the pot never boils dry, as this may cause a toffee explosion -- both messy and potentially dangerous. It's best if the cans are submerged in the water, however, you can also rotate the cans if the bot isn't deep enough to completely cover them. After four hours, turn off the heat and allow the cans to cool on a cutting board. (Be cautious when removing the cans from the water -- they will be quite hot, so use tongs or an oven mitt.)
2. If using, prepare pastry crust (below), otherwise prepare another appropriate crust (graham cracker crust or even a store-bought shell). Blind bake, and allow to cool.
3. Once the cans of sweetened condensed milk have cooled, open them and pour a layer to cover the bottom of the shell. Alternate layers of toffee and sliced bananas, until the crust is filled.
4. You can refrigerate the pie for several hours before serving, but make sure to prepare the whipped cream just before serving. Prepare the whipped cream by whipping heavy cream, vanilla and salt (add a bit of sugar if desired, however, the filling is quite sweet, so it's not necessary).

Pastry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 C plus 2 T butter, softened
• 1 C plus 6 T powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 1/4 C flour
• Seeds from one vanilla bean
• one lemon, zested
• 4 egg yolks
• 2-4 T cold water

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugar, and salt in the food processor or stand mixer.
2. Pulse to add flour, vanilla seeds, zest and egg yolks until dough looks like coarse crumbs, adding water with a final pulse or two.
3. Turn out dough onto counter and with minimal handling, form dough into two 5-inch logs.
4. Wrap logs individually and refrigerate for at least an hour. Each log will be sufficient for one recipe -- feel free to freeze one for use later.
5. After the dough has cooled, slice thin layers off the log and use them to build the crust in the pan, pressing lightly to seal the seams. (This may be the easiest way I have ever assembled a crust and the results are delicious.)
6. To blind bake the crust, freeze it for about an hour, and cook in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes until just lightly browned.
7. Allow crust to cool and fill as desired.

Adapted from Jamie's Kitchen by Jamie Oliver