Growing up I associated bananas and my brother as synonymous. I would pick chocolate milk and he would pick banana milk, any flavor of candy except banana would work for me whereas he would gobble anything and everything banana flavored up first.

Whenever I heard of Banoffee pie I would turn my nose up, though this wasn’t a treat I remember being at any kids parties or gatherings growing up. I associated this pie with America and only when I came to make this dish for this little blog did I learn that it is in fact from England.

The creator of this pie only died a couple of months ago so it seems only too fair that I made this on the same year as a his passing. As a kind of homage to Nigel Mackenzie’s legacy this pie has me sold with the love of banana now firmly established in my own life.

One of the most beautiful quotes regarding this pie comes from the man himself: “Nigel suggested bananas and straight away we knew we had got it right. Like the classic combinations of strawberries and cream, bacon and eggs and sausage and mash it is something that is more than just the sum of its parts.” It sounds almost romantic and this dish seems so iconic that it’s a little hard to believe its only been around for a little over forty years.

Banoffee Pie
Adapted from Carnation.co.uk
Serves 8

Ingredients:
Base
250 grams/1/2 pound digestive biscuits, crushed
110 grams butter, melted
Filling
100 grams butter
1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
397 grams sweetened condensed milk
Topping
3 medium bananas, sliced
300 milliliters whipping cream
To serve
Grated chocolate

Directions:
Grease a tin and set aside.

Place the crushed biscuits in a large bowl and add the melted butter, stirring to combine and the mixture holds firm.

Press into the prepared tin evenly on all sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter and sugar into a saucepan on low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the condensed milk and increase the heat until high. Continue stirring until thick and a caramel color.

Pour over the refrigerated base and allow to cool at room temperature. Refrigerate for an hour to set.

Lay the sliced banana over the chilled caramel and set aside.

Whip the cream until soft peaks have formed. Spoon the cream over the top of the pie and finish by grating the chocolate on top.

Slice and serve.