BANANA TOFFEE "BANOFFEE" PIE

BANANA TOFFEE “BANOFFEE” PIE:

Recently, some good friends of mine from Minnesota, suggested a pie that I was familiar with, but hadn’t given thought of trying due to the filling content:  Banana Toffee.  I was intrigued, so I figured I had to give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised at not only how easily it went together, but more so, that the flavor combination of banana and caramelize toffee wasn’t all that terrible.  In fact, it was pretty delicious.

Naturally, I had to do a little research on the origins of this particular pie, and come to find out this crazy flavor combination is courtesy of the British!  Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie, the chef and owner respectively at The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. The claim to have developed the dessert in 1972, having been inspired by an American dish known as "Blum's Coffee Toffee Pie", which consisted of smooth toffee topped with coffee-flavored whipped cream.

BANANA TOFFEE “BANOFFEE” PIE:

CRUST:

·         2 Cups Nilla Wafers, Crushed

·         1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

·         7 Tbs. Butter, Melted

FILLING:

·         7 Tbs. Butter

·         ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar

·         1 Can Condensed Milk

TOPPING:

·         4 Small Bananas, Sliced

·         2 ½ Pints Heavy Whipping Cream

·         2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

·         Heath English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, crush Nilla Wafer cookies into crumbs.  Remove to a mixing bowl and blend brown sugar with crumbs.  Mix in melted butter until crumbs are thoroughly coated.  In a baking sprayed pie plate or tart pan with removable bottom,  pour crumb mixture and press evenly against side and bottom of plate.   Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and sugar over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, stirring until a thick golden caramel forms.  Spread the caramel into your crust chill in the freezer for about 1 hour, until firm or until ready to serve.

Remove your pie from the freezer.  Slice two of your bananas into thin slices and arrange in a circular pattern on the top of the toffee later. 

In a mixing bowl, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream.  Slice the remaining bananas and fold half of them into the softly whipped cream.  Spoon whipped topping over the sliced banana covered toffee layer.  Garnish with remaining banana slices and Heath English Toffee pieces.