Banoffee Pie

Base quantities follow the crumb volume. The caramel and cream follow the tin's surface area, so they keep their depth however deep you make the base.

• Digestive biscuitsMcVitie's Original · The original, not the light ones — you want the fat for a base that holds.20 biscuits≈ 292 g
• Salted butter, meltedKerrygold Irish · Melted and slightly cooled.113 g4 oz
• Light brown sugarSoft light brown; it gives the base a faint toffee note.28 g1 oz

• Caramel / dulce de lecheNestlé Carnation · One 397 g can, ready-made — no boiling tins of condensed milk.397 g14 oz
• Flaky sea saltMaldon · A restrained pinch across the caramel. This is the single biggest upgrade in the whole recipe.to taste

• Bananas, ripe but firmSpeckled, not black — soft bananas turn to paste under the cream.3 bananas≈ 360 g
• Lemon juiceTossed through the slices to stop them browning.5 ml1 tsp
• Heavy / double cream, well chilledStraight from the fridge — warm cream refuses to hold peaks.300 ml1¼ cups
• Vanilla bean pasteOr the scraped seeds of half a pod. You want the visible flecks.5 ml1 tsp
• Icing sugarJust enough to steady the cream, not to sweeten it — the caramel handles that.12 g⅜ oz
• Dark chocolate, 70%For shaving over the top.20 g⅔ oz
• Instant espresso powder · optionalThe faintest dusting. It reads as depth, not coffee.to taste

1. 1

   Line the base of your tin with baking parchment. If it is a loose-bottomed or springform tin, leave the sides bare — the crust releases cleanly on its own.

2. 2

   Blitz the digestives to an even sandy crumb in a food processor. No processor: seal them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin, leaning on the pin rather than smashing, so you get sand instead of shrapnel.

3. 3

   Stir the brown sugar through the crumbs, then pour in the melted butter and mix until every crumb is glossy and the mixture clumps when you squeeze it in your fist.

4. 4

   Tip into the tin and press down firmly and evenly — the flat base of a glass or a measuring cup gives a far tighter, more level base than fingers. Press right into the edges.

5. 5

   Chill until firm. Do not skip this: a warm base slumps under the caramel.

   30 min
6. 1

   Beat the caramel briefly with a spoon to loosen it, then spread over the chilled base in an even layer, taking it right to the edge.

7. 2

   Scatter a light pinch of flaky salt over the caramel from a height, so it lands evenly rather than in clusters.

8. 3

   Return to the fridge to set the caramel before the bananas go on.

   20 min
9. 1

   Slice the bananas about 5 mm thick and turn them gently through the lemon juice.

10. 2

    Arrange the slices over the set caramel in a single overlapping layer, working from the outside in so the edge looks deliberate when it is cut.

11. 3

    Whip the cold cream with the vanilla paste and icing sugar to SOFT peaks — the whisk should leave a trail that slowly folds back on itself. Stop early; it firms up further as you spread it, and over-whipped cream turns grainy.

12. 4

    Spoon the cream over the bananas and work it into soft swoops with the back of the spoon. Leave the surface uneven — the shadows are what make it look good.

13. 5

    Shave the dark chocolate over the top with a vegetable peeler, then add the barest dusting of espresso powder through a fine sieve. Serve within a few hours.

• Brown the butter for the base. Melt it until it foams, smells of hazelnuts and the milk solids turn amber, then cool it slightly before mixing. It costs five minutes and completely changes the base.

• Chill the bowl and the whisk before whipping the cream. Cold equipment gets you stable peaks with far less risk of over-whipping.

• Assemble the bananas and cream on the day you serve. The base and caramel can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.

• Dip your knife in hot water and wipe it between cuts for clean slices that show the layers.

• For a loose-bottomed tin, stand it on an upturned bowl and let the ring drop away — pushing up from underneath cracks the crust.