I still have one more post in the Be Kind, Be True, Be You series but I wanted to take a moment and share with you this recipe from my old dessert blog, All My Sugar. I made Banoffee Pie last week, Friday, March 20th, in celebration of the Spring Equinox, a.k.a., first day of Spring…even if it does still feel quite wintry here in NYC (albeit sunnier).
It was a former coworker—who was British, as the original concoction is—that clued me in on this delectable, scrumptious treat. It is basically a simple yet genius layering of graham cracker or Oreo crust; bananas, dulce de leche, and whipped cream.
Heads up, this is time-consuming, given that you’ll be boiling a can (or two) of condensed milk for a solid two hours. Then there’s the crust-making, whipped-creaming, banana-slicing… Okay, the last one only takes minutes. But overall, the effort is well worth it.
My advice? Make two (or three!) pies in one go.
Cheers to the new season!
BANOFFEE PIE
(I’ve tweaked the recipe slightly from the original post.)
INGREDIENTS
- 6 oz. Oreos or 365 Organic Chocolate Sandwich Cremes; creme fillings removed (about 23 cookies)
- 2 tbsps butter, melted
- 1 14 oz. (396 g) can condensed milk
- tiny pinch of salt (optional)
- 2–3 bananas, sliced at an angle
- juice of half a lemon or more
- 1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional, to ‘set’ the whipped cream)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
DIRECTIONS
1) Simmer the can of condensed milk in a deep pot filled with water for two hours. Do not open the can, and make sure that it is fully submerged all throughout, adding more water as necessary. I recommend setting your timer and checking every 20–30 minutes. Flip the can halfway through.
Tip 1: If using a non-stick pot, line the bottom with a small towel to avoid scratching the surface.
Tip 2: Since you’ll have the stove on for a long period of time, might as well add in a second can for another pie.
2) After two hours, the condensed milk will now have turned into dulce de leche—the caramel filling for the pie. Let cool at room temperature and set aside.
3) Preheat oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Pulse the Oreos in a food processor until they’re the texture of fine crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter until thoroughly combined. Or, place cookies in a large zip-top bag; seal, then smash into bits using a rolling pin, hammer…or the can of condensed milk!
4) Press the cookie mixture onto a pie plate or 8″ cake pan. Use your knuckles or a spoon, creating a nice, even layer and an edge about 1/4″ high. Bake for 10 minutes. Let crust cool.
5) Slice the bananas at an angle and toss with lemon juice (to prevent browning). If you’re assembling the pie right after you slice the bananas, you may skip the lemon juice.
6) Once crust is cooled, arrange the bananas in a single layer, then pour the dulce de leche over. You’ll have about 1/3 left for you to enjoy. If using salt, sprinkle a tiny amount. Set aside.
7) Place the heavy cream in a metal or glass bowl and whisk—or use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment—until it forms stiff peaks. Do not overbeat cream as it can curdle. Mix in the vanilla and cornstarch midway through.
8) Top pie with whipped cream and finish with Oreo crumbs on top if desired. Alternatively, place leftover dulce de leche in a sandwich bag, snip a tiny hole at the edge, and drizzle over finished pie. Let set in the refrigerator and enjoy!
You’ll still have a bit of dulce de leche left. I recommend it for pancakes.
Spot the doggie.
