Banoffee Pie

Seriously sweet and decadent, this caramel coffee pie is well worth the indulgence. Biscuit bases are a great alternative for pie crusts, especially for those are less comfortable with baking.

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN ROBB/ PROP STYLIST: GENEVIEVE WISEMAN

Serves 8-10 ( or 4-6, depends who’s counting!)

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

9oz. box digestive biscuits, or graham crackers

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

½ cup butter, melted

Coffee Caramel

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 14oz can condensed milk

1 Tsp instant espresso powder

pinch sea salt

Chocolate Ganache

4oz baking chocolate (70%), roughly chopped

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp butter, cubed

Meringue

4 large egg whites

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup icing sugar, sifted

Assembly

2 bananas, sliced into rounds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the biscuits and sugar in a food processor and pulse until a crumb has formed. Add the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture into the base and up the sides of a 9” fluted tart tin. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden, remove and allow to cool completely.

2. In a medium saucepan, add the butter and brown sugar and stir, cooking until dissolved about 4 minutes. Once melted, pour in the condensed milk and bring to the boil, cook until a thick golden caramel begins to form stirring constantly until smooth then remove from the heat and stir through the espresso and sea salt. Allow to cool slightly before pouring evenly into the tart. Chill while you prepare the rest.

3. To make the ganache, place the chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted, then remove from the heat, about 5 minutes. Let cool until the mixture is thick enough to hold an indentation against a spoon.

4. To make the meringue, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar until it forms stiff, glossy peaks, about 4 minutes. Slowly add the icing sugar, the mixture will deflate slightly before stiffening again.

5. Spread the cooled ganache evenly over the caramel. Top with the meringue, using the back of a spoon to create peaks. Lightly toast with a torch. Serve,