Banoffee Pie

Getting to the Central line is currently like descending into the underworld. You know as you make your way down the escalator that awaiting you is a platform where warm air being pushed out of the tunnel by the oncoming train is a welcome treat, before you cram on to a carriage of humidity and sweat. Someone has either pushed the window at the end up as the strong breeze it creates is bugging only them, or the window is fully open but the world’s tallest and broadest man is standing in front of it so nothing is getting through. Both of these have the same result in creating a desperately unpleasant atmosphere and drastically increasing the chances of someone fainting, disrupting the service and ensuring that everyone stays in the sweat box longer. 

Salvation is at hand though. As you get off the tube and start the gradual ascent to the outside world, oxygen starts to become more readily available creating a euphoric feeling. Notwithstanding the idiots who don’t know how to use the ticket machines properly, you are only seconds away from the actual outside world and, regardless of the heat there, it is nothing compared to the lair of Beelzebub you have recently exited. Sadly repeating this twice daily does somewhat put a dampener on the great weather but at least leads to the temperature outside feeling cool when compared to the horrors of the tube network. 

Hot weather and baking don’t really mix with me. My kitchen is small and manages to heat my flat up, counteracting the strategic window opening and blind positioning. Therefore this week I have made something that requires assembling rather than baking. Banoffee Pie is extremely wonderful and I have made it with a buttery biscuit base but you could make, or buy, a sweet pastry case to construct it in. It’s fairly quick to make and always looks impressive thanks to a sprinkling of chocolate on the top. Transporting in London can be an issue in hot weather and sadly a bag of frozen peas was sacrificed on the Central line to the almighty Hades to ensure the cream didn’t melt. 

Ingredients  

450g digestive biscuits (this is if you want sides, if not then 300g will do)

150g butter (or 100g if using 300g of biscuits)

2 x tins of Carnation Caramel (you could use one but I like a lot of caramel)

3 or 4 ripe bananas

600ml double cream (you could use less and use whipping but just embrace the double cream)

1 x Flake 

1.    Grease a spring form tin. I used a 23 inch one but it just means your pie is deeper if you use a smaller tin.

2.    Smash the digestive biscuits into crumbs by your preferred method. If you have a small child on hand then they can be tasked with this if you’re happy with mess. If not a food processor whizz or bunging into a plastic food bag and smashing to hell and back with a rolling pin will work.

3.    Melt the butter and add to the biscuit crumb. Mix well until it looks like damp sand and put into the tin. Smooth it on the bottom and up the sides with the back of a metal spoon to create your base. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes. You want to make sure that when you put the caramel on that it doesn’t rip up the base so the butter needs to set.

4.    Take the base out and empty the caramel on it. Spread out until even.

5.    Now do these bits just before you want to eat it as the bananas can go weird. Slice the bananas and scatter the slices over the top of the caramel.

6.    Whip the cream until stiff and smooth over the top of the banana, finishing off with smashed Flake. Once again a small child (or enthusiastic work colleague) can help with this.

7.    If you’ve put sides on the base then use a knife the prise it away from the side of the tin, take the sides of the tin off and serve.

You can of course make this in a tart dish or create individual portions with tea cups or glasses.