eat: banoffee pie

The English love their banoffee pie. It's one of the most popular desserts in the UK and now it's one of mine, too.

As you may have already guessed, banoffee is a combo of bananas + toffee (dulce de leche). These two ingredients pile onto a cookie crust under a blanket of whipped cream. Sometimes it's topped with dark chocolate shavings. Sometimes not. Personally, I think the chocolate is a necessity (:

After making it myself, I really think the Brits are on to something. This luscious pie is delicious and oh-so-easy to make.

Here's what you need to make it...

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or digestive biscuit crumbs)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dulce de leche (dulce de leche is a Latin American caramelized milk confection & is available at many grocery and specialty food stores. You can also use Eagle Brand dulce de leche flavoured condensed milk)
3 ripe bananas (cut into 1 cm slices)
1 1/4 cups of whipping cream
Dark chocolate shavings (I used Bakers dark choco)

• Combine the crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture with a spoon on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate with a removable bottom. Bake in a 350 F oven until firm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
• Spread dulce de leche on cooled tart. Arrange bananas over top. 
• In a large bowl, whip the cream (you can add a spoonful of sugar) until it peaks. Spread over the bananas and top with the grated chocolate.
• Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 12 hours.) Once cut, the edges may be a little crumbly, but that's the charm of banoffee pie. Serve chilled to very happy people.

See, it really is the easiest pie ever! Don't be surprised if I bring this to your next potluck.

Happy Saturday, peeps!

Dajana