It triggers an emotion and a passion ... and it takes me to my happy place” are Dave Johnson’s thoughts about Banoffi Pie. Since sampling his first bite in the United Kingdom, Johnson has become a self-styled expert on this unusual pie. He can discuss crumb crust vs. rolled crust, dulce de leche vs. toffee caramel and coffee flavored whipped cream vs. plain whipped cream. This passion seems unusual for a radio sports announcer. However, if you ever taste Banoffi Pie, sometimes spelled Banoffee, you can understand this emotion. Please believe me, the pie is worth every calorie and fat gram.
Although the real Banoffi Pie was created in 1971 by restaurateur, Nigel Mackenzie, and his chef, Ian Dowding at The Hungry Monk, in the U.K., their inspiration was a pie from the U.S. This pie, called Blum's Coffee Toffee Pie, was served at a restaurant in Hollywood. The problem with the American pie was the inconsistency of production. The two Brits were convinced they could improve on this potential showstopper dessert.
The day they added bananas to the toffee caramel and plain whipping cream rather than coffee flavored whipping cream, they realized they had created something special. Nigel called the new creation “Banoffi” as a temporary name. This became important as the pie's fame spread because the unusual name could be tracked. Within just a few years this amazing confection had morphed into ice cream flavors, truffles, cookies, even yogurt. The word “Banoffi” has even been listed in the Oxford English Dictionary. Among its fans are Queen Elizabeth and the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Ian Dowding said about his joint creation, “It's not as if we'd discovered the double helix or cold fusion, but it has been a phenomenon that a simple pudding could become world famous.”
One taste of a Banoffi Pie will make a believer of anyone. The following recipe is taken directly from Mr. Dowding's web-site.
I love Banoffi Pie and have made many of these scrumptious pies. However, I have never taught this recipe in cooking classes or published it. The reason is the possibility of an accident occurring during the caramelization of the condensed milk. Cooks in my family have been caramelizing condensed milk in this way for decades. Please be very careful to follow the instructions exactly. To transform the condensed milk into a heavenly treat, first remove the labels from the cans of milk.
Place the cans in a deep saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring the heat up to a gentle simmer. NEVER let the temperature of the water go above a simmer. Set a timer for thirty minutes and turn the cans over using a pair of tongs. Add more water as needed to keep the cans covered with water. Repeat the thirty minutes turns for three hours. Carefully remove the cans from the water at the end of three hours and allow the cans to cool completely. Unopened cans will last in the refrigerator for up to three months. In a past kitchen for my cafe a cook was making this caramelized cream. She didn't pay attention to turning the cans or to keeping the water over the cans. When the explosion happened shrapnel and bits of caramel stuck in the 17 ft. high ceiling. As far as I know, they are still there. Mercifully no one was injured.
Banoffi Pie, The original recipe
You will need a 10 x 1 & ½ inch (deep) loose bottomed flan tin and your oven preheated to: 180C / gas mark 4 - 350 degrees
For the Pastry
• 250g / 9 oz plain flour
• 25g / 1 oz icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 125g / 4 & ½ oz butter
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
Making the Pastry
1. Place the flour and sugar in a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and then rub it in to the flour / sugar until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
2. Work in the egg to form a paste.
3. Chill for half an hour then roll out to the thickness of a pound coin and line the flan tin.
4. Prick the base, line with parchment paper and weigh down with dry beans.
5. Cook for fifteen minutes then remove the beans and paper.
6. Put the pastry case back into the oven and cook until it is evenly golden.
7. Remove from the oven and cool.
To Assemble
• 1 & ½ tins of banoffi toffee (see note on boiling the tins) (2 cans regular condensed milk)
• 5-6 ripe bananas
l 425 ml / ¾ pint of double cream (whipping cream)
• 1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules
• 1 dessertspoon of caster sugar (1 Tblsp. regular sugar)
• A pinch of ground instant coffee
Putting it Together
1. Carefully spread the toffee over the pastry base.
2. Peel and split the bananas lengthways and arrange them on top of the toffee, (see how they fit the curve of the pastry – that’s why God made bananas curved).
3. Whip the cream with the instant coffee (if they are granules they will dissolve as you whip the cream) and the sugar until it just holds its shape – take care not to over whip it.
4. Spread the cream over the bananas right up to the pastry edge then sprinkle sparingly with the ground coffee.
5. If you are not serving it immediately cover first with some baking parchment or greaseproof paper directly onto the cream and trim the edges then wrap in cling film. It does not lend itself to being frozen.
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
